What is Investment Immigration?
There are many different grounds that you can pursue in seeking citizenship in a country. One program that is relatively new is called investment immigration. These types of programs are built to bring foreign capital and business people into the country, offering the right of residence and citizenship in return for coming. Davis & Associates are immigration lawyers in Houston who can help you through the process.
Investment immigration programs often features multiple criteria to be in order to qualify for this status. Among the qualifications are the means to create jobs, purchase real estate, or specifically contribute to targeted industries. The goal of investment immigration programs is to contribute to the welfare and economic development of the country where the immigrant is moving.
In the United States, these foreign nationals are called EB-5 Immigrant Investors. Under the program, the entrepreneurs, their spouses, and unmarried children under 21 are all eligible to apply for a permanent residence green card. The criteria is two-fold, as listed on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website:
- The foreign national must “make the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States.”
- They must plan to create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers.
In order to qualify for this immigrant investment program, you have to have investment or are actively in the process of investment either $1 million in a new commercial enterprise which will benefit the economy, or $500,000 in the specifically targeted employment areas. These targeted areas including a rural area with fewer than 20,000 residents, or an area with an unemployment rate that is 150% of the national average.
An EB-5 visa can also be obtained through an investment in a U.S. Government assigned regional center, which also take into consideration the economic impact of the investment through indirect employment. This can be an option to help an investor qualify even if their company may not directly meet the other visa requirement.
The newly created commercial enterprise can be any type of for-profit activity that is created for an ongoing business including a: joint venture, corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, business trust, or holding company. The 10 full-time jobs for qualifying workers must be created or secured within two years of the admittance into the United States.
A legal firm such as Davis & Associates can help with immigration assistance in Houston, helping determine if you qualify for investment immigration as well as the steps that you need to take to apply for the program. Each year, there is a cap of 10,000 applications under the EB-5 program in the United States.
Our attorneys take you through each step of the EB-5 visa process, including a thorough understanding of what you need to do to qualify, as well as how to properly fill out your application, helping you increase your chances of obtaining the visa. We are immigration and deportation attorneys in Houston with a thorough understanding of immigration laws. Get started with a free consultation today.
About Davis & Associates:
Davis & Associates is the immigration law firm of choice in Houston and surrounding areas. Their attorneys provide expert legal counsel for all aspects of immigration law, including deportation defense, writs of habeas corpus and mandamus, family-sponsored immigration, employment-sponsored immigration, investment immigration, employer compliance, temporary visas for work and college, permanent residence, naturalization, consular visa processing, waivers, and appeals. Attorney Garry L. Davis is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.