General Overview Direct EB-5 Investments

EB-5 Invesments Overview

Since 1990, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor program has allowed foreign people and their immediate family members to legally migrate to the United States and enjoy the privileges of permanent residence status. Foreign nationals must invest in a new commercial enterprise (NCE), generate at least 10 full-time jobs, and comply with all United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) criteria to qualify for the employment-based fifth preference (EB-5) visa. Since its start, the EB-5 program has benefited the US economy, and thousands of foreign individuals have realized their ambition of getting US green cards.

 

Foreign nationals considering an EB-5 investment have two options: they can invest indirectly through a regional center or directly into an EB-5 project.

What Is the Difference Between Direct and Indirect EB-5 Investments?

All EB-5 investments, whether direct or indirect, must generate at least 10 jobs and meet USCIS’s minimum investment requirements. Nonetheless, there are numerous key distinctions between direct and indirect EB-5 projects. These include the process of creating jobs, the structure of each investment type, and the function of a regional center as an intermediary in indirect EB-5 projects.

 

Creation of Jobs

Only directly produced jobs can be counted toward meeting the employment creation criteria for direct EB-5 projects. These direct occupations must be full-time (at least 35 hours per week) roles filled by qualified US workers. Furthermore, direct jobs must be generated and paid for by the NCE. In most situations, direct employment comprises of operational roles related to the NCE’s day-to-day operations.

Structure of the Project

EB-5 regional center projects, on the other hand, have significantly more flexible employment generation standards. Foreign nationals who invest indirectly are permitted to include indirect and induced employment with direct jobs. As a result, regional center initiatives are more likely to meet the job creation criteria. In contrast to direct employment, indirect jobs are produced as a result of the EB-5 project’s favorable economic impact on the area. The regional center project, for example, may acquire building materials, equipment, and supplies from local businesses, so indirectly creating jobs.

 

Employee spending in the local community generates induced employment. When regional center project employees spend their pay in the project area, they create employment through enhancing the local economy. Because quantifying indirect and induced jobs is difficult, an economist must often produce a thorough report explaining the project’s impact on the neighborhood.

 

EB-5 regional center developments typically include many organizations. Because these initiatives may quantify induced and indirect employment, the jobs produced by each firm can contribute to meeting the entire need. Furthermore, the NCE and the job-creating entity (JCE) are often distinct entities. In contrast, in a direct EB-5 project, the NCE and JCE are frequently the same. Furthermore, each direct EB-5 investment must go into the NCE, which is in charge of producing the requisite 10 jobs per EB-5 investor. Because the NCE of a direct EB-5 project must receive the investment, loan models are rarely practical because both a lender and a borrower are required to be engaged.

 

Nonetheless, direct EB-5 investors may invest in a subsidiary controlled by a parent business. Due to its ownership of the subsidiary, the parent firm would be deemed the NCE for such investments. In this situation, the subsidiary that got the EB-5 money is in charge of creating jobs. If the investment is divided across numerous companies, each will be required to generate employees. Furthermore, if the parent firm is located in a targeted employment area (TEA) and so qualifies for a lower investment level, the subsidiary must likewise be located in the TEA; otherwise, the investor will be unable to invest at the reduced amount.

 

reliant on a regional center

Foreign nationals looking to make an indirect EB-5 investment must seek for projects affiliated with a USCIS-approved regional center. Because the regional center program is subject to periodic government renewal, indirect EB-5 investors should bear in mind that the success of their visa petitions is partially dependent on the program’s reauthorization. Furthermore, accredited regional centers may lose their USCIS designation if they fail to follow the latter’s criteria. Direct EB-5 investments are not subject to such approval.

 

Direct Employment Creation Requirements

Foreign nationals considering a direct EB5 investment should be aware that the USCIS has established various restrictions for determining job creation. Direct jobs, for example, must be ongoing, permanent ones. Employees must also be engaged by the EB-5 enterprise for at least two years. The post must last two years, but it can be filled by numerous workers; USCIS will consider the duration and nature of the role, but it is not required to be filled by only one employee. This provision allows EB-5 companies to employ a job-sharing arrangement and have numerous part-time workers fill a full-time role. Individual part-time positions, however, cannot be combined to become a full-time one. To demonstrate that these conditions were satisfied, EB-5 investors must provide payroll and tax records to USCIS.

 

In addition to limiting the kind and length of direct EB-5 employment, USCIS ensures that eligible individuals occupy the posts. According to USCIS’s website, workers must fulfill the following requirements:

 

A qualifying employee is a U.S. citizen, a lawfully admitted permanent resident, or another immigrant who is legally authorized to work in the United States, including, but not limited to, a conditional resident, a temporary resident, an asylee, a refugee, or a noncitizen who is subject to deportation but is not deported.

 

Individuals who work at the EB-5 project site but are not recruited by the project do not count as direct jobs under these rules. Jobs held by the investor and their close family members are also not counted.

 

Finally, if a direct EB5 investment is made at a reduced rate because the EB-5 firm is located in a TEA, all workers must work inside the TEA‘s borders.

 

One of the primary goals of the EB-5 program is to increase job creation; thus, while filing Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor, firms must give ample proof that they will meet the job creation criterion.

 

How are Business Plans for Direct EB-5 Investments Created?

With their I-526 petition, EB-5 investors must provide a detailed business plan. This business plan should include an overview of the EB-5 enterprise, a market study, and pertinent financial information. Most essential, the business strategy must demonstrate that the EB-5 enterprise will really create jobs. Investors should include information such as expected staffing needs, a description of each proposed position, and a recruiting timeline to give such proof. All of these elements should indicate that the necessary jobs will be generated within 30 months of the approval of the I-526 petition.

 

Of course, the anticipated positions must meet the demands of the company, and the remuneration for each position must be affordable. Furthermore, the employment should be created as a direct result of the foreign national’s EB-5 investment in the NCE. Aside from demonstrating job creation, the business plan must also demonstrate that the foreign national’s EB5 investment and the firm itself comply with all USCIS laws.

 

Direct EB-5 Investment Business Types

Investors can pick from a variety of projects for their EB-5 investment. Nonetheless, certain types of enterprises make it simpler to produce the necessary employment while still meeting the program’s other criteria. The most dependable direct investment projects are realistic, require EB-5 money, and will fulfill the job creation standards. Rather of starting a new business, EB-5 investors may opt to create a new branch of an existing franchise or acquire and expand an existing firm.

 

Many direct EB-5 investors want to engage in retail, wholesale, or restaurant operations. Manufacturing, service, and agricultural operations are examples of less prevalent direct EB-5 projects. The USCIS also enables foreign nationals to participate in a failing firm; in this scenario, the employment produced and retained must be obviously the consequence of the EB-5 investment.

 

EB-5 Direct Investments in Existing Businesses

Even though the USCIS enables EB-5 investors to invest directly in existing firms, doing so makes proving that the business is actually an NCE more difficult. Existing firms are only eligible for NCE status if they were established after November 29, 1990 and fulfill one of the following criteria:

 

The EB-5 investment money will result in a 40 percent rise in staff or net value.

The old business will be reformed or reorganized in order to create a new business.

Given the second criteria, investors must completely restructure or reorganize an existing firm before it can be classified as an NCE. The new business must be distinct from the original—for example, a modest motel may be enlarged into a huge luxury hotel, or a bookshop may be changed into a restaurant. Surface modifications, such as remodeling or rebranding, would not classify the existing firm as an NCE.

 

Existing enterprises also meet the employment generation requirements in other ways. Existing employment, for the most part, cannot be counted toward providing the necessary jobs. To count previously established employment, an investor must demonstrate that they did not buy any existing brands or other assets and that the firm had closed prior to the EB5 investment. An investor might also demonstrate how many workers worked in the company previous to the EB-5 investment and explain how the company would create the necessary number of new jobs while retaining all existing ones.

 

If the EB-5 enterprise qualifies as a struggling firm, an investor may additionally count current employment. A problematic business is one that has had a net loss of at least 20% in the 12 or 24 months preceding the filing of the I-526 petition and has been in operation for at least two years.

 

How Involved in Their Businesses Are Direct EB-5 Investors?

The EB-5 program requires investors to participate in the management of the NCE into which they are investing. The level to which an investor is involved in firm management is typically determined by the type of the investment and the management structure. Foreign people who make an indirect EB-5 investment, for example, might opt to be less active in day-to-day operations.

 

To meet the EB-5 program standards, direct EB-5 investors must have some decision-making involvement in the operation of the firms. The amount of engagement is generally determined by the EB-5 business’s management structure.

 

Can a Direct EB-5 Project Attract Multiple Investors?

Multiple investors may engage in a direct EB-5 transaction, according to USCIS. Non-EB-5 investors that do not need to satisfy the job creation criterion can be included. EB-5 investors should be aware that they may be required to disclose information on the source of funds given by non-EB-5 investors; in 2019, USCIS began to request such information via proof requests (RFEs).

 

How to Select Direct vs. Indirect EB-5 Projects

Because of its more flexible job creation criteria, indirect EB-5 investments are often more popular than direct ones. However, the termination of the regional center scheme on June 30, 2021, prompted many interested foreign nationals to consider direct EB-5 investments.

As previously stated, there are some major distinctions between indirect and direct EB-5 projects; investors should investigate each option and select the one that best meets their needs. Experienced immigration lawyers and EB-5 consultants can assist foreign nationals in locating the best EB-5 investment possibilities.