EB-5 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
1. What are the requirements to apply for EB-5 immigrant visas?
There are no special requirements placed upon investors, such as having a business background, age, level of education, or language abilities. In most cases, applicants who demonstrate their investment funds were obtained legally will receive an EB-5 immigrant visa.
2. What items or documents are needed to apply for an EB-5 immigrant visa?
All applicants need to prepare basic biographical information, identification documents, and recent tax returns and statements showing the origin of investment funds.
3. Besides the $500,000 investment itself, what are the costs to file an EB-5 application?
In addition to the $500,000 principle investment, Southeast Florida EB-5 Regional Center charges an Administration Fee. The Administration Fee covers the cost for the regional center to administrate the investment. These activities include, but are not limited to, investment document preparation to meet U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requirements, monitoring, reporting, and facilitating communication between the project, USCIS, and the investor. EB-5 investors must also pay for an immigration attorney, to ensure the source of investment funds and petitions to the USCIS goes smoothly. The cost will vary depending on the legal counsels and the time required to verify the source of investment funds.
4. How long does it take EB-5 immigrant visa applicants to obtain their “green cards”?
In most cases, the whole process takes about 12 to 18 months. However, USCIS recently reported processing times for I-526 petitions averaging 16 months.
5. How long do investors and immediate family members have to wait before they can become naturalized United States citizens and obtain U.S. passports?
Five years, starting from the date of initial entry with the EB-5 investor immigrant visa. Time spent with a conditional green card is credited towards the five-year lawful permanent residency requirement for U.S. citizenship, as long as the holders of conditional green cards meet U.S. citizenship residency requirements.
6. What happens if the EB-5 application is rejected by the U.S. government?
If the I-526 application is rejected due to project or Regional Center issues the investor is guaranteed the full return of the principle and Administration Fee. If the denial is due to the investor’s personal documentation or source of funds then the full principal and a portion of the Administration Fee is returned. Investment funds are only transferred from the escrow account to the project after the investor’s I-526 is approval.