Earn residence in the United States with a single investment.

Making investments offshore is not only a great way to diversify your portfolio, but it can also be an easy way to earn a new life! Through residency by investment programs, global investors can make a single investment and earn permanent residency. In some cases, individuals can even earn citizenship. Many investors are looking to take advantage of the economic systems in the United States by qualifying for the EB-5 investor visa.

In 1990, the U.S. Congress created the EB-5 investor program to create jobs and capital investment for foreign investors to stimulate the economy. Two years later, the government then created the Immigrant Investor Program, or the Regional Center Program, that also reserved EB-5 visas for those looking to invest in commercial enterprises. According to this program, investors looking to obtain permanent residency in the U.S. can do so through qualified investments. To qualify for the program, foreign investors must meet the requirements set by United States Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS). With this program, after all of the qualifications are met, applicants, their spouse, and any children under the age of 21 will obtain a permanent residency card. Continue reading to find out how to qualify for the EB-5 investor visa and how Alpen Partners can help you earn U.S. residency.

The EB-5 Requirements

Before earning permanent resident status, an investor must meet a specific set of requirements. These requirements include capital investment amount, job creation, and the business receiving the investment must qualify for the program.

Job Creation

This is one of the essential qualifications for the EB-5 program, as it is why the program was initially started. According to the USCIS, EB-5 investments must create at least ten full-time jobs for local community members in the United States. These full-time positions must be created within two years after the investor receives their conditional residency. This program has proven to be very helpful in regions of the United States with higher unemployment rates. The company in which the investment is placed and the surrounding community benefit from this job creation.

Investors are often required to prove that at least ten jobs were created directly through the investment. Meaning, the position must be held entirely under the commercial entity that received the investment. Other times, some EB-5 investors are only required to prove ten full-time indirect or induced jobs were created if the investment was made in a regional center. A job created in the business that supplies goods and services to the EB-5 project would qualify as an indirect job. If a job was created in the greater community due to the income spent by the EB-5 project employees, it is considered an induced job.

Minimum Investment

Like most residency by investment programs, there is a minimum investment required to qualify. The minimum investment requirement for the EB-5 visa is either a $900,000 or $1,800,000 capital investment in the U.S. commercial enterprise. This investment can be made in cash, inventory, secured indebtedness, property, equipment, or cash equivalents. If an investor prefers to make the $900,000 investment, the investment can be made in a commercial entity in a targeted employment area, or TEA. The project regarding the EB-5 investment must be in a rural area with high unemployment to qualify for this designation. An area with high unemployment is a location with an unemployment rate of at least 150% of the national unemployment rate at the time of the investment. A rural area is defined as a region outside of a city with a population of 20,000 or more, or a geographic region outside of a metropolitan statistical area, which is defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget.

Qualified Investments

There is a limit to the kinds of commercial entities that are considered qualified for the EB-5 program. One qualifying business is a new commercial enterprise that is lawful, for-profit, and formed after November of 1990, which can take form in several different ways. This includes corporations, limited general partnerships, sole proprietorships, business trusts, or other privately or publicly owned business structures. Older businesses can also obtain the visa if the investment creates 40% more jobs or increases its net worth by 40%. An older company can also be restructured to the degree that a new commercial enterprise results. This would also qualify them for the EB-5 visa.

Along with individual businesses, EB-5 investors can invest in Regional Centers, also known as the Immigrant Investor Program. A Regional Center administers EB-5 projects, so it may work to the advantage of the investor to take this route. The investor would not have to set up the project on their own.

Something to Consider

Before one can begin the steps to meet the requirements, the applicant and their family must be evaluated for admissibility to the U.S., the same as anyone seeking a green card. This includes providing proof of a lack of criminal record, significant health issues, assets gained illegally, and more.

Investing with Alpen Partners

There are so many reasons to consider obtaining a second residency. There are life-changing economic and personal benefits to taking your wealth offshore and investing in new markets. With the EB-5 investor visa, you can do both a once! While the process can seem relatively easy, navigating the rules and regulations of becoming a resident of the U.S. and understanding the investment qualifications can be hard to do correctly right away. The common investor may not know the best options for them, so for this reason, if you are interested in taking your wealth abroad, contact a skilled professional.

Alpen Partners, and our team of experts, can guide investors through the world of residency by investment, relocating, and more. Whether the task is choosing which area of the country offers the most benefits to an individual, the kind of company to invest in, tax planning, or any other step in the process, our clients are taken care of. We work hand in hand with our clients to ensure their financial and personal dreams become a reality. Beyond residency and investment services, our team can assist in all levels of financial and life planning for high net worth individuals, including tax planning, asset protection, portfolio diversification, and more. Contact the experts of Alpen Partners today!