Overview

The US federal government created the Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) Regional Center program in 1990 as a tool to promote foreign investment and economic growth in the United States. Also known as the Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 helps create jobs for American workers while affording eligible foreigners the opportunity to become lawful, permanent US residents.

Process

The EB-5 program allows foreigners to obtain two-year conditional US Green Cards by investing a minimum of US $1 million (or US $500,000 if the project is located in a "Targeted Employment Area" (TEA)). Cleveland has been qualified as a TEA zone.

Within five years of receiving these conditional Green Cards, investors and their families can begin the Naturalization process to become official US citizens (provided each individual meets all federal guidelines associated with the EB-5 Regional Center program) and their two-year conditional Green Cards will become permanent.

Ten thousand conditional US Green Cards are set aside each year for EB-5 immigrant investors, including those who apply through a "Regional Center." A Regional Center is a company or entity that is granted a license by the US government to aid foreign investors by targeting their investment into a defined geographic region of the USA in specific investment projects. The program also allows investors to sponsor conditional Green Cards for relatives, including spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21.

For each immigrant investor in the EB-5 program, 10 full time jobs for US workers must be created or preserved. Employment positions created indirectly as a result of these new jobs can count towards the job creation potential of a project as well; CiF uses econometric models to estimate the job creation potential for each of its projects.

For frequently asked questions regarding the EB-5 Program, click here.

Benefits of EB-5 Regional Center and Investor Green Card

There are several advantages available to immigrants exclusively through the EB-5 program. In addition to the opportunity to live in the USA at low cost, foreign investors and their families are entitled to all the benefits available to other lawful US residents immediately upon receipt of a conditional Green Card. And unlike other US residential visa options, the EB-5 Regional Center program does not require participants to speak English or own, operate, or manage a business. It is the Regional Center's responsibility to manage the investment on the EB-5 investor's behalf.

Additional benefits available to EB-5 investors and their families include:

The Regional Center manages the investment and charts all job creation progress on the investor's behalf;

Within 5 years of obtaining a conditional Green Card to the US, investors and their families can begin the process of becoming US citizens. The two year conditional Green Card counts toward these five years;

Permission to live and work anywhere in the US with no obligation to live in the area where the investment is located;

Permission to open and run a business in the US;

Access to US education programs at residential costs, which includes admission to state universities;

Access to all US healthcare programs for investors and their family members;

Permission to return to the investor's native homeland with no need for a visa (providing residence in the USA is maintained).

Investor Eligibility Requirements

Interested investors must submit the following in order to qualify for CiF's EB-5 program:

Accredited Investor Questionnaire:

Proof of Legal Acquisition of Capital:

Background Check: