For the past several years, one of the most popular residency by investment programs amongst residents of the United Arab Emirates and neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has been the EB-5 Immigrant Investor program. The EB-5 program is the golden visa equivalent for investment immigration to the United States. Created by the U.S. Congress in 1990, the EB-5 program allows foreign nationals to apply for Green Cards for themselves and their qualifying dependents, which include the principal applicant’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age. The eligibility threshold for foreign nationals is not as strict compared to other Northern American and European immigration programs as the only eligibility criteria is that the investment must be derived from a clean source of funds. Additionally, the investment must create a minimum of 10 U.S. jobs to fulfill the job creation requirements.
For a successful EB-5 application, it is crucial for GCC residents to work with an experienced consultant. The American Legal Center is the top immigration consultancy in the region providing EB-5 services. The Legal Director and founder of The American Legal Center, Shai Zamanian, has been established as the specialized leader in the GCC region in regard to the EB-5 program. He has assisted hundreds of families around the world, and especially out of the GCC region, in filing their EB-5 applications. Here are the top three reasons why you should work with The American Legal Center in filing your EB-5 application.
1. U.S. qualified lawyers and experts based out of the Middle East
The American Legal Center is composed of a team of U.S. licensed lawyers and professionals, who are laser focused on the EB-5 program and have been active in the EB-5 industry for over a decade. With their headquarters based out of Dubai, they are aware of issues that are pertinent to GCC residents. When putting together an EB-5 application, it is important to package the application in a way that is readily understandable to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer reviewing the application. One of the major requirements of the EB-5 program is having a legitimate source of funds.
Legitimacy of an investor’s source and path of funds is generally demonstrated with annual tax returns and business ownership documents. An EB-5 application for an applicant out of the GCC region does not look the same as that of an applicant from a different region due to the different taxation laws and commercial companies laws that are applicable to residents of the GCC. For example, a UAE resident cannot show personal tax returns in the UAE and must therefore rely on other supplementary documents to demonstrate the legitimacy of their funds. With over ten years of experience in the GCC region, The American Legal Center has specialized knowledge in regard to the source of funds documentation required for GCC residents in filing a successful EB-5 application.
2. 100% approval rating and proven track record
Shai Zamanian, the Legal Director of The American Legal Center, has processed over 500 Green Cards for families around the world and especially out of the GCC region. Prior to submitting an EB-5 application, the team at The American Legal Center prequalifies candidates to ensure that they are the right fit for the program. This due diligence is the reason why The American Legal Center has a proven track record and has been able to maintain a 100% approval rating during their over ten years of activity in the EB-5 industry.
3. EB-5 leader in the GCC region
Holding the record for having filed the most EB-5 applications out of the GCC region, The American Legal Center is the EB-5 leader in Dubai. The American Legal Center is known for its industry relationships, which provide it foresight in regard to the latest happenings in the EB-5 program. The American Legal Centers hosts biweekly seminars in Dubai and the GCC region to educate the market about the latest news in the EB-5 program.