For a long time, there have been two completely different views in the market regarding U.S. investment immigration. One view holds that U.S. investment immigration carries extremely high risks and should not be chosen; the other believes that the review criteria for U.S. investment immigration are extremely lenient, the processing speed is very fast, and there is a 100% approval rate.
Immigration experts believe that both of these views are one-sided and objective. Recently, the number of Regional Centers approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has grown explosively, and this trend is likely to continue. Among the numerous Regional Centers and EB-5 projects, although there is a mix of experience and capability, the vast majority of U.S. investment immigration applicants choose the relatively mature limited partnership model, which involves investing and recovering funds through mortgage lending and other methods. Furthermore, among the many EB-5 investment immigration applicants, the removal of conditions after 2 years and the return of capital after 5 years have been successfully completed in many cases; therefore, it is one-sided to claim that U.S. investment immigration projects carry extremely high risks.
On the other hand, in the 2009 fiscal year, out of all 1,028 EB-5 investment immigration applicant families, the USCIS had a 15% rejection rate (at the I-526 stage). Among the 437 EB-5 investment immigration applicant families approved in fiscal year 2007, there was a 12% refusal rate for the removal of conditions in 2009. Therefore, it is also not objective to claim a 100% approval rate. These data represent the overall situation of EB-5 investment immigration applications with the USCIS.
Immigration experts remind those who are truly interested in applying for U.S. investment immigration to compare multiple options and choose carefully. Among the rapidly increasing number of U.S. investment immigration projects, select a more stable and reliable support team to assist with the application. Since the extension of the EB-5 Regional Center Program on September 30, 2009, the immigration pathway of obtaining a green card for the whole family with a $500,000 investment will continue until September 2012, after which it will be subject to a new vote. In addition, as signs of tightening U.S. investment immigration reviews have already emerged, clients interested in immigrating to the United States should fully prepare in advance by learning about EB-5 policies, comparing projects, and selecting agency service providers to be ready for their final decision. The sense of responsibility, scale of strength, case handling experience, project diversity, selection capability of the immigration team, and the number of client referrals are also factors you need to consider.
