שלנו מומחה הגירה מוסמך הצליחה להשיג אישור של USCIS ללקוחותיו העסקיים המבקשים לגייס הון EB-5. מייקל האריס ייצג את EB-5 מרכזים אזוריים המבקשים לגייס בין מעט כמו 8 מיליון דולר הון, עד 250 מיליון דולר עבור מגוון רחב של פרויקטים בתעשייה.

כיצד להשתמש בתכנית EB-5 לפרויקט שלך

למפתח עסקי יש שתי אפשרויות כאשר הוא מבקש להשתמש בתוכנית משקיעי העולים EB-5 לפיתוח ומימון הפרויקטים שלה:

(1) השקעה ישירה של EB-5, או

(2) השקעה הממומנת במסגרת תוכנית המרכז האזורי EB-5.

להחלטה באיזו אפשרות להשתמש כחלק מערימת ההון שלך יש יתרונות וחסרונות שונים. שניהם יכולים לאפשר לכם להציע למשקיע זר אפשרות לקבל כרטיס גרין בתמורה לתרומת ההון שלהם לעסק שלכם. ההבדל העיקרי בין שתי האפשרויות מסתכם במתודולוגיות בהן נעשה שימוש ובמגבלות הזמן המושפעות מיצירת מקומות עבודה. הסיבה לכך היא שרק מרכז אזורי EB-5 רשאי ליצור מקומות עבודה בעקיפין בהתבסס על ההוצאות וההכנסות של הפרוייקט, וכן על ההוצאות induced ההוצאות על הכלכלה המקומית, כפי שניבא על ידי מחקר השפעה כלכלית. אם הפרויקט אינו מזוהה עם מרכז אזורי EB-5, אז זה עדיין עשוי להועיל הון EB-5, אבל זה יכול רק להסתמך על ישיר מקומות תעסוקה.

מהו מרכז אזורי EB-5?

A “Regional Center” is a company that has been approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to focus on a specific geographical area within the United States by seeking to promote economic growth through improved regional productivity, creation of new jobs, and increased domestic capital investment. A project which is affiliated with an Regional Center can utilize the direct jobs created by the commercial enterprise, as well as the indirect and induced jobs created according to a reasonable economic impact study’s prediction. Further, the project has the option of only relying on the indirect jobs created, which can be a tremendous benefit to large commercial enterprises by not having to rely exclusively on direct jobs (and the large volume of employment and tax records needed).

A capital investment made under the Regional Center Program is funded through a commercial enterprise located within a “regional center,” which is defined as “any economic unit, public or private, which is involved with the promotion of economic growth, including increased export sales, improved regional productivity, job creation, or increased domestic capital investment.” To be able to use the benefits of an EB-5 Regional Center, an applicant must first seek USCIS approval by submitting a proposal showing how it plans to focus on a geographical region and industry or industries within the United States and achieve the required growth by the means specified. The proposal must show “in verifiable detail how jobs will be created,” as well as the amount and source of capital committed and the promotional efforts made and planned.

In summary, the USCIS will require a Regional Center proposal to show the kinds of commercial enterprises that will receive capital from investors; the jobs that will be created directly and indirectly as a result of the investment of capital; the other positive economic impacts that will result from the investment of capital; whether the Regional Center’s project is a government-defined Infrastructure project or located within Targeted Area of Employment or TEA (e.g. a U.S. Census-defined metropolitan statistical area (MSA) where the unemployment is at least 150% of the national average, or in a “rural” area that is outside an MSA and has a population of less than 20,000 people); and the management plans for the Regional Center (once approved and receiving EB-5 Investor capital) to oversee its annual reporting requirements.

כדי להכין הצעת מרכז אזורי של ה - EB-5, הגשת ההגירה תידרש בדרך כלל במסמכי הפרויקט (הנדונים להלן), מחקר השפעה כלכלית, תוכנית עסקית מקיפה וחוזי הנפקה פרטיים לגבי פרויקט פוטנציאלי (פרויקטים היפותטיים לא יחייבו הצעת הצעה פרטית בתחילה). לפני תחילת ההצעה מרכז אזורי, מומלץ מאוד כי מפתח עסקי לנהל בדיקת נאותות כדי להבטיח את הכדאיות של הפרויקט שלהם. רמות אחרות של בדיקת נאותות מומלץ גם, כגון עבודה עם יועץ הגירה כלכלן כדי ללמוד אם הפרויקט יוביל מספיק ישיר, עקיף ו / או המושרה מקומות עבודה, כמו גם להעריך אם הפרויקט יהיה ממוקם בתוך תה.

כיצד פרויקט מרכז אזורי שונה מזה של פרויקט ישיר EB-5?

The project requirements for an EB-5 Direct Project are very similar to a project that is affiliated with a Regional Center. The following items distinguish an EB-5 Direct Project from a Regional Center project:

1. מחקר כלכלי השפעת. פרויקט ישיר עושה לא require an economic impact study as only direct jobs are allowed. The predicted job creation must be articulated in verifiable detail in a comprehensive business plan. When an investor seeks to petition the USCIS to remove the conditions on his or her residence, proof of the direct job creation will be documented with employment and tax records, as well as other documentation showing that the investor’s EB-5 capital was spent on the EB-5 project as planned.

2. אישור מראש של USCIS. A direct project does not have to seek project pre-approval from USCIS. This may be beneficial for some project owners who do not wish to wait the many months necessary for USCIS to adjudicate a new Regional Center. USCIS processing times for new Regional Center applications varied tremendously over the years. An investor can only invest in a regional center after it has been designated by USCIS. This additional delay and expense may not always be in the best interest of a project owner’s desired timeline to commence work. Note that after a regional center has been approved, subsequent projects that are within the previously-approved geographic territory לא דורשים pre-approval by USCIS. Those project must submit an application, however, to USCIS to have their business plan approved.

3. כאשר יכול קובץ משקיעים ראשוני? A direct project can only have one EB-5 investor, who can file his or her petition immediately upon having a set of EB-5 compliant materials (e.g. a business plan, corporate documentation, and proof of the actual project’s imminent commencement). A Regional Center project is able to do the same for new projects only after making its initial request to USCIS for business plan approval through the filing of Form I-956F.

4. Affiliation Fees to a Regional Center. A direct project owner is not required to pay “rent” or fees to a Regional Center to obtain EB-5 capital. Regional Centers may  charge a fee for projects to utilize their designation. This may range from a combination including an amount per investor, a signup fee, a percentage of the EB-5 funds borrowed through the regional center, and even a part of the project owner’s equity stake in the enterprise.

5. דו"ח שנתי של USCIS. בעל הפרויקט הישיר אינו נדרש להגיש דוח שנתי על כל פעילויות ה - EB-5 שלו מדי שנה ל - USCIS. בעלי מרכז אזורי נדרשים להגיש דו"ח שנתי לפני סוף השנה הקלנדרית. אי הגשת דוח שנתי עלולה להביא לסיום או לביטול ייעודו של מרכז אזורי.

6. USCIS הגשת דמי. A direct project owner does not have to pay a filing fee to have his project approved by USCIS. An investor filing under the direct project will pay their own filing fee. A project seeking to fund through an existing USCIS-approved Regional Center will need to pay a USCIS filing fee. That fee is currently $17,795.

7. EB-5 Investment Funds May Be Pooled Only in Regional Center Projects. As a result of the enactment of the RIA, Direct EB-5 projects cannot use pooled investments from from more than one EB-5 investor. Other investors may invest in a direct project, but the law only allows one EB-5 investor per direct project. Regional Center projects may pool funds many EB-5 investors.

8. קרנות הפורטפוליו מותרות. שני סוגי הפרויקטים עשויים לאפשר למשקיעים לממן השקעות באמצעות תיקי השקעות, אולם פרויקט ישיר יידרש מחברת אחזקות שתחזיק בבעלות מלאה את החברות הבנות שבבסיס יצירתן.

9. Minimum Investment of $800,000. Both types of projects allow for investments to be made in TEAs at a $800,000 amount per investor.

10. תוכנית עסקית דרושה. Both types of projects must have a comprehensive business plan. But only a regional center project must have the business reviewed in an additional project application.

דרישות הפרויקט הכללי

במונחים של יישום מרכז אזורי EB-5, כאשר הוא אושר על ידי USCIS המבקש המשקיע המבקש EB-5 מעמד תחת התוכנית עשויה להפוך את ההשקעה במוקדמות (כלומר, $800,000 or $1.05 million) within an approved Regional Center. The requirement of creating at least 10 new full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers is met by a showing that as a result of the new enterprise, such jobs will be created directly and indirectly. It is also important to note that under recent USCIS guidance, an EB-5 Regional Center project can seek to utilize construction jobs as direct jobs only if they are expected to last at least two years. As well, the project may also choose to rely solely on a verifiable and reasonable economic job creation methodology that shows that the necessary project expenditures or infusion into the local economy will result in the minimum amount of direct, indirect and/or induced jobs.

In today’s marketplace for commercial loans and investment capital when traditional sources of funding may have become increasingly unavailable for industrial development, real estate, construction, and venture-capital-seeking businesses, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program has attracted great interest. Today, more businesses are choosing to seek EB-5 capital, whether with one EB-5 investor in a Direct EB-5 project, by forming a Regional Center, or by having their project sponsored by an existing Regional Center. Many thousands of foreign investors are willing to invest at least $800,000 for the opportunity to secure a green card. At HarrisLaw, we have represented EB-5 Regional Center Projects which have sought EB-5 capital raises ranging from $8 million to $250 million. We also have represented smaller Direct EB-5 projects where the pooled funds sought were as little as $500,000. Our commitment to ensuring our clients success in the EB-5 program is dedicated, as shown through our membership in organizations such as IIUSA, the nation’s largest EB-5 industry trade association, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), as well as through Michael A. Harris’s certification by the Florida Bar as a specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law.

אם אתה מעוניין, בבקשה תיצור איתנו קשר for more information and our office will be happy to discuss the EB-5 program with you.