If you are interested in coming to the United States legally without having to wait years to go through the normal process, you may be interested in learning the requirements that go along with the EB5 visa. This type of visa allows immigrants to enter the country after making an investment, allowing them to not only come into the U.S. legally within a year, but also own a business. It may sound too good to be true, but in reality, many immigrants simply do not know about this type of visa. Learning a bit about the EB5 requirements is often the first step to using this route to get to the United States.
Not surprisingly with an investment visa, one of the first qualifications that you should have is the correct amount of money. You must have $1 million available to invest into the new business that you open in this country, and you simply need to be able to prove that you obtained it legally, even if it was a gift. If you do not have quite this much money, you have the option of investing in a particular area known for its high unemployment rates, called a targeted employment area. This costs $500,000, which may make meeting the main EB5 requirements much easier for immigrants who do not quite have $1 million to invest. No matter which route you take, you will end up a legal resident of the U.S., and depending on the return on your business, you will not even have to work once you arrive in this country.
The EB5 requirements do not all have to do purely with money. One important detail to note is that the business that you invest in will need to be profitable enough to employ at least ten U.S. citizens as full-time employees. This is one factor that you should take into account when considering a new business plan, as you will need to make enough money with the company to pay those employees. If you choose to invest in a targeted employment area, you will have the help of a regional center in the area, in which case you will simply invest in a business that is run by someone else. Note that if you do not want to open a brand new business, but also do not want to simply invest in someone else’s company, you can also take over an existing business that is failing financially.
Now that you have an overview of the main EB5 requirements, you should have an idea of how you will go about getting into the United States using this route. You can choose among the options of opening a brand new business, taking over a failing company, or giving your money to a regional center that will manage the business on its own. No matter what you choose, it is important to first talk to an immigration lawyer so that you make sure that you meet all the EB5 requirements.