Those with some knowledge of U.S. investment immigration should know that the current cost for investment immigration to the U.S. is $500,000; of course, the investment for non-regional center projects is $1 million. So, how much will U.S. investment immigration cost in 2018? Will the fees remain unchanged?
It is worth noting that while there is a high probability that the EB-5 program will be extended again, on January 11, the USCIS posted three consecutive tweets on Twitter discussing EB-5 reform, stating that they are revising the EB-5 program. The proposed new regulations will increase the investment amount and curb the abuse of TEA, enabling the EB-5 program to truly help high-unemployment and rural areas. They also attached a link to the details of the proposed new EB-5 regulations at the end, which shows their determination to implement the new EB-5 regulations as soon as possible.
According to the IIUSA report, it seems more likely that the USCIS proposal will be released before the congressional legislative draft. If this is the case, we can only hope that after the USCIS proposal is implemented, the EB-5 industry will be able to push Congress to reach a legislative reform within the implementation window of the USCIS regulations.
Once the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) price increase plan is officially announced, there will be no turning back. Regardless of whether it increases to $1.35 million, the era of low-cost immigration to developed countries around the world will officially come to an end. IIUSA stated that once the USCIS regulations are implemented before Congress, it will not only fail to provide long-term certainty for the EB-5 program, but its provisions, such as significant price increases, will also freeze the EB-5 market in instability and confusion. Therefore, this window of time will become an opportunity for Congress to reach a final compromise on EB-5 legislation and achieve a long-term extension of the EB-5 program.
Regardless of how the games are played on Capitol Hill, the Department of Homeland Security's move to increase the price of EB-5 is approaching. The price increase plan proposes to raise the minimum investment amount in TEA areas from $500,000 to $1.35 million, and the minimum investment amount in non-TEA areas from $1 million to $1.8 million. It also suggests canceling the power of state governments to designate TEAs and placing them under the unified management of the Department of Homeland Security. Once implemented, EB-5 investment immigration will face the "most difficult policy period" in history! Even if Congress can complete the EB-5 reform legislation before the new USCIS regulations are implemented, increasing the minimum EB-5 investment amount, redefining TEA target employment areas, and implementing more rigorous supervision and guidance for regional centers and their development projects at all stages will be the main direction of congressional legislation. The increase in the EB-5 investment threshold is a certainty! It is recommended that investors who intend to apply for EB-5 investment immigration prepare their relevant documents for submission to the USCIS in the near future.
