Throwing money at a problem, may not always be a solution, but in the case of US EB-5 visa this old adage may just apply.

The US government has created regional centers across the US where a foreigner can obtain a Green Card from themselves as well as immediate family by investing a minimum of USD 1,000,000 for period of 5 years. If the Regional Center supports a backward area (Target Employment Area) the amount is reduced to USD 500,000. An example of this can be seen in the case of the redevelopment of the Las Vegas Strip including The Lucky Dragon, Dynasty Hotel Casino, Clarion Hotel, and World Resorts.

Other than the USD 1M – 500,000 investment the foreign investor will have to pay USD $50,000 administrative fees to the Regional Center, USD 1,500 towards Filing Fees, approximately USD 15,000 towards lawyer fees Deciding on Regional Center requires the foreign investor to conduct due diligence which need to be done by an Indian attorney. Once the due diligence is conducted the EB-5 investment is made by transferring the funds to an escrow account of the Regional Center after which the Regional Center Attorney files a Petition for Immigrant Visa for the foreign investor.

Once the foreigner invests the required amount, they receive a conditional Green Card and upon fulfillment of the 5-year investment the foreign investor and their family can make the Green Card permanent or apply for US citizenship by naturalization. In this new area where a person's wealth is no longer measured in millions but billions the EB-5 visa maybe to an attractive and viable option.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.