The New Year’s bell is about to ring, 2014 is about to pass. However, for U.S. investment immigration, 2015 has already arrived as early as January 1, 2014. Since U.S. investment immigration is divided by fiscal year, from the perspective of investment immigration, the U.S. 2015 has already come early. 2015 is referred to as a tumultuous year in the immigration community, as three major crisis events are expected to occur.
Crisis One: In the first half of 2015, applicants from mainland China for the EB-5 visa may face a backlog. Since the EB-5 program was legislated in 1990, the annual quota of 10,000 visas for U.S. investment immigration has never been exhausted, but in 2014, it was the first time that the visa quota was fully utilized. The current lack of backlog is due to the restart of the new fiscal year quota on October 1, 2014. However, as of the fiscal year 2014, the U.S. immigration authorities have a backlog of approximately 12,000 applications, which means that without any policy changes, there is a high possibility of a backlog for EB-5 in 2015. Once a backlog occurs, it will not only extend the waiting time for green cards but, more importantly, it will have a greater impact on the aging children of investors.
Crisis Two: In 2015, the investment amount for U.S. EB-5 investment immigration is expected to increase. Since the EB-5 program was legislated in 1990, the investment threshold has remained unchanged for over 20 years. However, now, Canada’s investment immigration will increase to 200,000 Canadian dollars, the investment amount for the UK investment immigration has already increased to 200,000 British pounds, and Australia has introduced a 150,000 Australian dollar investment immigration program. In comparison, the U.S. green card, as the most valuable green card in the world, with a minimum investment of 500,000 U.S. dollars, is astonishing. In 2013, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to adjust the current investment amount based on inflation. If this bill is implemented in 2015, even if the investment amount does not increase, it will rise to around 900,000 U.S. dollars when accounting for inflation. This will not only increase the capital occupation for investors but also increase investment risks and make it more difficult to arrange the source of funds.
Crisis Three: The U.S. Investment Immigration Regional Center Pilot Program is facing extension issues on September 30, 2015. There have already been three extensions prior to this, and this will be the fourth extension by the U.S. President for the pilot program. Before each extension, investors often experience a frantic situation, rushing to choose projects, make payments, and submit applications before the deadline. This not only increases the risk of investment for investors but also raises the risk of rejection.
Typically, the occurrence of any one of these three major crises in U.S. investment immigration would cause investors to be unsettled throughout the year, but in 2015, all three major crises will occur in the same year, which is a historical first. Experts from WorldWay remind investors to prepare early and respond proactively, and not to rush into decisions at the last minute. However, WorldWay immigration experts also advise investors not to hastily choose projects due to these three crises, as current investment choices will determine your future outcomes. Therefore, our advice is to select a project as soon as possible, and once a good project is chosen, make an investment decision promptly.
Currently, the Pennsylvania Turnpike project, exclusively represented by WorldWay, is another EB-5 project launched by the U.S. state government following the 520 Bridge project. This project is funded by a state government loan, with the state government promising repayment, and has already received pre-approval from the U.S. immigration authorities under the I-924 application. The first phase of the Pennsylvania Turnpike project was sold out in just two months, and the second phase has seen even more enthusiastic demand than the first phase, so investors are encouraged to act quickly. Consultation hotline: 400-138-2929.
