Data from the U.S. Department of State in May shows that from October 2009 to May 2010, there were 1,100 Employment Based Fifth Preference (EB5) applications nationwide, with 955 approved. The total number of EB5 visas approved nationwide increased from 1,443 to 4,218 from October 2008 to September 2009, with 70% coming from China, South Korea, and other Asian countries and regions.
Currently, the highest number of investment immigrants from mainland China comes from Shanghai, Beijing, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Liaoning. Ding Weihao, Vice President of the YK Investment Immigration Regional Center in the United States, which recently received approval for 942 investment immigration slots from the federal immigration bureau, stated that not only first-tier cities but also many people from Dalian, Qingdao, Tianjin, Chongqing, Hainan, and Inner Mongolia are beginning to immigrate to the United States as investment immigrants, with a significant proportion being real estate investors, followed by import-export traders, manufacturing owners, and financial professionals.
The relaxation of investment immigration policies in the United States, the acceleration of processes, and the easing of funding source audits have all contributed to the rapid increase in Chinese investment immigration. Meanwhile, Canada has raised its investment immigration amount from the original 400,000 CAD to 800,000 CAD starting June 26 this year, prompting many to turn to the United States.
It is understood that the Obama administration currently opens 10,000 investment immigration slots each year, with only about 3,000 to 4,000 applications currently.