Certain family members are eligible to apply with the main investor under the EB-5 scheme. These include the investor’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 years old. Unfortunately, other family members such as parents, grandparents, siblings and children over the age of 21 years old are not included.

Yes, this is highly advisable because when filing in the application, if there is insufficient investment or incomplete documentation showing this investment, USCIS may deny the application.

A TEA stands for Targeted Employment Area and is a rural area or a location with a high rate of unemployment of at least 150% of the national average. The investment amount is lower if invested in a TEA area as these areas often have greater need for investment and this is a way to encourage investors to invest in these areas.

There are several ways in the U.S. for foreign nationals to be eligible to apply for citizenship including family-based and employment-based immigration. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program however, is not based on any sponsorship and is an efficient option to receive Permanent Residency status and the eligibility to citizenship.

Yes, funds from friends and family members are acceptable, however the investor will still have to prove that these funds have been created by lawful sources. A loan is also acceptable from financial institution, but in this case the investor must use independent collateral for these loans i.e. the EB-5 investment cannot be considered as the collateral for this loan and the investor will still need to prove how the collaterals for the loan were obtained.

The processing period varies significantly depending among other factors, on the investment choice as well as on the investor’s country. As a rule, it can be said that in general it may take around 2 years, but depending on your situation this time period may be increased or decreased accordingly.

You are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship once you have lived in the U.S. for at least five years. These five years start to count from the date that you receive your initial conditional residency.

U.S. universities oftentimes mean world-class education allowing the graduates to enter a strong employment market and giving them a good start in their future lives. Once an EB-5 investor and their applicable family members obtain conditional green cards, they are considered permanent residents of the U.S. and can enjoy all the benefits this entails, including but not limited to the potential of lower resident tuition fees. The exact rules regarding the difference between the resident and nonresident tuition fees vary depending on the states where the investors live and the type of educational institution.

Yes, the EB-5 visa holders have all the rights of a Green Card Holder once USCIS approves the work authorization even if the EB-5 application is still pending, and therefore have the right to work and live anywhere in the U.S. This also applies to the Investor’s dependents who also filed Adjustment of Status. They do not need to work for the regional center through which they make the investment but it should be noted that if the investors or his/her dependents work in the EB-5 business that they used for the EB-5 investment, their positions may not be considered as the job creation criteria.

Holborn Assets are an award-winning wealth management and financial services business established in 1998. With offices globally, Holborn are well-positioned to help you with your citizenship and residency application.

At Holborn we have:

• 250+ qualified advisors across the globe
• More than $2billion assets under management
• Servicing 20,000 clients worldwide