Foreign nationals can still make and/or prepare for their EB-5 investment during Covid-19.
Here’s what prospective EB-5 investors need to know.
USCIS is still processing EB-5 petitions:
Despite temporary office closures USCIS staff are still performing duties that do not involve direct in-person contact with the public. The Immigrant Investor Program Office is still processing EB-5 applications.
Learn about your investment options:
Consulting an EB-5 immigration lawyer is a good step to learning more about your unique EB-5 case. Do you want to invest in a direct investment or a regional center investment? Do you want to invest in a targeted employment area or not? How actively do you want to be involved in the investment?
Determine if you qualify for the EB-5 Program:
Do you have the minimum required investment amount of $900,000? Can you trace the funds to lawful sources? Do you have easy access to the funds or do you need to sell assets? Speaking with an immigration lawyer or regional center can help you determine if you qualify for the program.
Think about your risk tolerance:
All EB-5 investments must be at-risk, but some may be higher risk than others. If your goal is a high return on your investment in addition to a green card, you may want to learn more about direct investment options. If your sole goal is obtaining a green card and you do not have any interest in actively controlling and managing your investment, a regional center project may appeal to you. Regional centers have the advantage of counting indirect and induced job creation making this crucial requirement of the EB-5 Program easier to fulfill.
Conduct due diligence on your investment options:
Found a great looking regional center project to invest in? While flying out to the project site might be delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions, prospective investors can use this time to learn more about the project details including the business side, financials, developer experience and regional center team reputation. Has this regional center had I-526 and I-829 approvals? Have they returned investor funds?