At this time DHS has not provided any further information on the status of these proposed regulations in light of President Trump’s regulatory freeze so it is critical that the industry submit comments of the potential negative effects that these regulations pose for the EB-5 Program.
If you have not yet provided your comments to DHS on either of the proposed rules you can do so by following the steps below. It is imperative that as many EB-5 stakeholders as possible submit comments before the deadline.
IIUSA will be submitting comments on behalf of the Association for both the NPRM and the ANPRM, but it is critical that individuals and companies submit their own comments as well. ( more... )
Form I-924 is used by any economic unit, public or private, in the United States that is involved with promoting economic growth (including increased export sales, improved regional productivity, job creation, or increased domestic capital investment) to:
--Ask USCIS to be designated as a regional center under the Immigrant Investor Program; or
--Request an amendment to a previously approved regional center.
To register, please follow lease steps:
--Please email ipostakeholderengagement@uscis.dhs.gov with your full name and the name of your organization. Also, please place “I-924 Webinar” in the subject line. Once we process your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with additional details.
--If you have any questions regarding the registration process, or if you have not received a confirmation email within two business days, please email the same address.
( more... )
Both Republicans and Democrats agree that changes to the nearly 30-year-old program are needed. Yet coming to terms on new rules has proved to be a big stumbling block. Instead of passing a new bill, EB-5 has been receiving short-term, three- and six-month extensions since 2015 just to keep the program running.
Given the looming deadline, it looks like at least one more short-term extension is in the cards. Players in the EB-5 industry have not given up hope of seeing a comprehensive EB-5 bill approved prior to April 28th. However, it is more likely that Congress will approve new rules along with a five-year renewal later this summer or fall ( more... )
The categories of auditing activities can be grouped under: (1) verification of information in regional center applications and annual certifications, including updates, (2) verification of continued eligibility, based both on regional center submissions and outside records, and (3) consensually obtained information through “data requests” and site inspection. ( more... )
Meanwhile, developers and foreign nationals uncertain about the program's future are rushing to apply ahead of the April 28 deadline, when lawmakers may either sharply raise minimum contribution requirements or allow the program to expire.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY, a longtime advocate for the EB-5 program, on Monday introduced a bill to "increase the worldwide level of employment-based immigrants and to reauthorize the EB-5 regional center program" in advance of its scheduled expiration. ( more... )
The proposal also seeks to change how a "targeted employment areas" (or TEA) is determined. The power to define what is a TEA now lies with the states but the Department of Homeland Security suggests taking on that task. ( more... )
This means our work continues with even more urgency. The legislation from the current 114th Congress also continues to grow with important reform ideas to consider. IIUSA welcomes the interest of all congressional offices, and introduction of new legislation, to achieve the necessary reform that will enable the long term reauthorization the EB-5 Regional Center industry truly needs. ( more... )
The regional center part of the program was set to expire last Friday, and lawmakers had come close to a compromise that would have reauthorized it for another five years, but with many changes designed to addresses myriad criticisms, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. ( more... )