EB-5 News USCIS is extending the validity of Permanent Form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status for 48 months beyond the card’s expiration date. This change started on January 11, 2023, for Form I-829. USCIS has updated the language on Form I-829 receipt notices to extend the validity of a Green Card for 48 months for individuals with a newly filed Form I-829. USCIS will issue…
EB-5
Why EB-5 is a natural next step for H-1B visa holders
EB-5 Investor Magazine recently explored the large uptick in interest of H1-B Holders looking at the EB-5 Green Card path. As our law firm is located in California, we do work with many H-1B holders out of Silicon Valley who are looking for either an alternative path or a much faster path to move on to the freedom of permanent residency and away from being tethered to and employer. Since…
New EB-5 Rules March 2022
Effective March 15, 2022 new EB-5 Rules will be issued with an effect date of 60 days later. Some Key highlights of. the new EB-5 Rules: Investment amounts: The minimum amount for a Target Employment Area (either rural or high-unemployment area) investment is now $800,000; a standard or non-TEA investment is $1,050,000. Grandfathering past investors: The bill maintains eligibility of all pre-enactment investors, as of when they filed their I-526,…
Direct EB-5 Investments remain at $500,000
On December 2, 2021, Congress signed a bill to temporarily fund the U.S. federal government through February 18, 2022. The bill does not include any changes to the direct EB-5 program, which will remain for the time being at the reduced $500,000 threshold for projects located in high unemployment or rural TEAs and $900,000 for those Direct Businesses located outside of a TEA. The EB-5 regional center program and Adjudications…
All Direct EB-5 Visa Applicants are current
December 2021 Visa Bulletin “Current” for All Direct EB-5 Visa Applicants By AILA’s EB-5 Committee The December 2021 Visa Bulletin was released on November 15. It states that China-mainland born EB-5 direct visa categories have become “current” for December. This is newsworthy because it is the first time all direct EB-5 applicants worldwide are “current” since the EB-5 visa categories became oversubscribed in 2015. It also appears to be the first time…
EB-5 Investment reduced back to $500,000
-On June 22, 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, in Behring Regional Center LLC v. Wolf, 20-cv-09263-JSC, vacated the then policy of requiring $900,000 for EB-5 investment. As such, USCIS we will apply the EB-5 regulations that were in effect before the rule was finalized on Nov. 21, 2019, including: No priority date retention based on an approved Form I-526; The required standard minimum investment…
