The Hawaii Regional Center was originally designated on October 31, 1995 by the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to participate in the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program under Section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and was reaffirmed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on October 30, 2008.
Designation of the Hawaii Regional Center provides the state with an alternative vehicle to attract new capital. The State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), the official economic development agency of Hawaii, awarded the contract to CanAm Enterprises, LLC to be the official promoter of the Hawaii Regional Center.