Citizenship through investment
The EB-5 program gives foreign nationals the opportunity to obtain a U.S. green card and then apply for citizenship. To do this, you must invest $800,000 (excluding additional expenses) in the U.S. economy and create jobs. Unlike a number of other investment initiatives, the invested funds under EB-5 can theoretically be returned.
According to Prian, last year the total investment volume under the program amounted to about $5.35 billion, which confirms the interest of foreign investors.
However, the key change concerns the mechanism of participation. Formally, an investor can invest money directly into a business or act through so-called regional centers – companies accredited by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which help select and structure a project.
In practice, the second option works almost exclusively today.
The main applicants are Chinese
The number of regional centers has sharply decreased: if a year ago there were about 166 of them, now there are only 42. At the same time, it is through such centers that investors receive approval much more often. The rejection rate for applications through regional centers is about 5.7%, while for direct investments it reaches 58%.
The geography of applicants remains the same: the main share is made up of Chinese citizens (3017 applications) and Indian citizens (1812).
Experts note that the EB-5 program retains its attractiveness, but it is becoming more dependent on intermediaries and regulation, which increases the requirements for project and partner selection.
