In order to qualify as an immigrant investor and obtain a visa through the EB-5 Program, the investor/applicant will need to submit a Form I-526 (the latest version of the form can be found at www.uscis.gov). The I-526 form seeks: Biogra...
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Ready to Apply to the EB-5 Program? Here’s What to Expect
AAO decisions on source and path of funds appeals
Petitioners who believe that their I-526 was denied in error have the option of appealing to the Administrative Appeals Office. AAO decisions on these appeals eventually get published to the USCIS website, where I read them and take notes to l...
Latest EB-5 Case Processing Times & Receipt Dates for Case Inquiries
Here are the latest EB-5 case processing times for the I-526 Immigrant Petition for Alien Investor. The overall estimated time range listed on USCIS is 37 months to 73.5 months. Below that, however, is a slight breakdown for investors from...
Federal prosecutor says Newport EB-5 fraud investigation still underway
Ariel Quiros, former owner of Jay Peak Resort, stands outside the federal courthouse in Burlington, Vermont on May 22, 2019, after his arraignment on fraud charges over a failed plan to build a biotechnology plant using foreign investors’ mone...
Stenger, Quiros courtroom clash looms in EB-5 criminal fraud case
Jay Peak developers Ariel Quiros left, and Bill Stenger was indicted on May 22, 2019, in federal court in Burlington. A showdown is brewing between one-time business partners Ariel Quiros and Bill Stenger as one is braced for jail time and...
Number of USCIS Approved EB-5 Regional Centers Still Declining: Tips for Selection
Between 2016 and 2018 there were over 800 active and USCIS approved EB-5 regional centers, but after changes to the program in late 2019, to targeted employment area designations and investment amount increases, the number of USCIS approved EB...
More Premium Processing is Congress' Solution to USCIS Financial Woes
A stopgap funding bill to avoid a U.S. federal government shutdown temporarily extends otherwise expiring immigration categories, but also includes an interesting permanent provision to solve the ongoing financial problems of USCIS, a fee-fund...
Jay Peak seeks more than $60 million reduction in property tax bill
Attorneys for Jay Peak are challenging the ski resort’s nine-figure property tax bill, according to the Caledonian-Record. A hearing is scheduled in Newport for October 29. The resort wants the Town of Jay to reduce its property tax assessm...
Congress must reform EB-5 immigration program to ensure national security, lawmaker says
America’s foreign adversaries, chief among them China, could utilize one of the federal government’s most noteworthy immigration programs against the United States, threatening its national security and undermining democracy, U.S. Rep. Guy Res...
More EB-5 Visas Available
The estimated annual employment-based visa limit is anticipated to be approximately 261,500 for FY 2021, which begins October 1, 2020. The EB-5 Program receives 7.1% of the employment-based visas available or about 18,566. From the October ...
October Visa Bulletin Effective as USCIS Honors Dates of Filing
The October 2020 Visa Bulletin takes effect today. The Bulletin shows rapid advancement in priority dates for both final action dates and dates for filing in the employment-based (EB) preference categories, with the exception of EB-5. Signific...
Spending Bill Passes House, Would Reauthorize EB-5 Regional Center Program
The House overwhelmingly passed new legislation which would extend government funding through December 11, 2020. The spending bill is now being sent to the Senate for approval before it arrives on President Trump’s desk for a final signature. ...
Investor visa: A way out of the Covid-19 conundrum
Some 14,000 new EB-5 visas to the USA would be available next year, starting October 1 Eight months after the first human case of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) was diagnosed in the US, a countless number of dreams and plans have been table...
What Could Cause an EB-5 Petition to be Denied?
Here are a few common reasons why an EB-5 Petition could be denied. Not Investing the Required Amount or Selecting a Project That Does Not Qualify An EB-5 investor must invest $900,000 in a targeted employment area project or $1,800,000 ...
Supporting Mandamus and APA actions
EB-5 investors facing excessive processing delay have the option to sue USCIS. They can bring claims under the Administrative Procedures Act, which permits federal courts to compel agency action “unlawfully withheld or unreasonably delayed.” 5...