To encourage immigration through the EB-5 program, Congress created a pilot program in 1993. The program specifically sets aside 3,000 visas annually for foreign investors who apply through a United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) designated Regional Center Investment Program.
A Regional Center is a private enterprise or corporation or a regional governmental agency with a targeted investment program within a defined geographic region. The Regional Center program in many ways mirrors long active and successful investment-employment based programs in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and other foreign nations.
An investor seeking an EB-5 immigrant visa through a designated regional center must generally make a qualifying investment of $1 million and demonstrate that at least 10 jobs were directly or indirectly created through the investment. Certain rural, high unemployment or Targeted Employment Areas (TEA) qualify for a lesser capital investment of $500,000.
An investor seeking an EB-5 immigrant visa through a designated regional center must also demonstrate that at least 10 jobs were directly or indirectly created through the investment. AIG utilizes a USCIS approved job methodology to measure and verify a qualifying project’s required job creation.