Congress created the fifth employment-based preference (EB-5) immigrant visa category in 1990. This was designed to encourage qualified Foreign Investors to invest in a business that will benefit the US economy and create or save at least 10 full-time jobs. The Foreign Investor must invest $1 million, although only $500,000 is required if the investment is made in a rural or high unemployment area.
In 1993, the U.S. Congress created the EB-5 Regional Center Pilot Program. Under that program, Congress empowered the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to designate “Regional Centers.” The Regional Center is a company or other entity which is charged with aiding Foreign Investors by targeting their investment into a specific geographic region of the United States in specific investment categories which will create new U.S. jobs.
With an investment through EB-5 New York State, the Foreign Investor may base the proof of job creation on expert economic analysis of job creation in the regional economy. This is a significant advantage for the investor’s immigration petition.
EB-5 New York State has been designated as a Regional Center by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to invest EB-5 capital throughout all of New York State. Those investments can be made in a wide spectrum of job creating commercial activities.