EB-5 Overview
The USCIS administers the Immigrant Investor Program, also known as “EB-5,” created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors.
Under a pilot immigration program first enacted in 1992 and regularly reauthorized since, certain EB-5 visas also are set aside for investors in Regional Centers designated by USCIS based on proposals for promoting economic growth.
All EB-5 investors must invest in a new commercial enterprise, which is a commercial enterprise:
- Established after Nov. 29, 1990, or
- Established on or before Nov. 29, 1990, that is 1) Purchased and the existing business is restructured or reorganized in such a way that a new commercial enterprise results, or 2) Expanded through the investment so that a 40-percent increase in the net worth or number of employees occurs.
Job Creation Requirements
- Create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers within two years (or under certain circumstances, within a reasonable time after the two-year period) of the immigrant investor’s admission to the United States as a Conditional Permanent Resident.
- Create or preserve either direct or indirect jobs.
Capital Investment Requirements
Capital means cash, equipment, inventory, other tangible property, cash equivalents and indebtedness secured by assets owned by the alien entrepreneur, provided that the alien entrepreneur is personally and primarily liable and that the assets of the new commercial enterprise upon which the petition is based are not used to secure any of the indebtedness. All capital shall be valued at fair-market value in United States dollars. Assets acquired, directly or indirectly, by unlawful means (such as criminal activities) shall not be considered capital for the purposes of section 203(b)(5) of the Act.
Required minimum investments are:
- General. The minimum qualifying investment in the United States is $1 million.
- Targeted Employment Area (High Unemployment or Rural Area). The minimum qualifying investment either within a high-unemployment area or rural area in the United States is $500,000.
A targeted employment area is an area that, at the time of investment, is a rural area or an area experiencing unemployment of at least 150 percent of the national average rate.
A rural area is any area outside a metropolitan statistical area (as designated by the Office of Management and Budget) or outside the boundary of any city or town having a population of 20,000 or more according to the decennial census.
EB-5概述
移民局负责管理的投资移民计划，也称为“EB-5”。该法案于1990年由美国国会通过，主要目的在于通过外国投资者对美国本土企业进行的海外资本投资并创造新生就业岗位，从而推动和刺激美国经济的发展。
自试点移民计划1992年首次颁布以来，在定期重新授权的基础上，为了促进经济的增长，一定数量的EB-5签证也被预留给了由移民局指定的区域中心。
所有EB-5投资者必须投资在一个新生的商业企业，并且这个商业化的企业需满足：
– 1990年11月29日之后成立；
– 成立于1990年11月29日或之前的企业需满足以下条件：
1）购买的并且对现有业务进行重组，通过这样的方式创造出一个新的企业；
或2）通过投资扩大，使企业净值或员工人数提高40%。
创造的就业机会需满足
- 在投资者获得美国条件性永久居民权后的两年内（或者特殊情况下在两年后一段合理时间内），为符合条件的美国人创造或保存至少10个全职就业机会。
- 所被创造或保存的工作岗位可以通过直接或间接的形式获得。
资本投资条件：
资本是指现金，设备，存货，其他有形财产，和被外国企业家以其拥有的资本所担保的现金等价物和债务（前提是该外国企业家是本人并且承担主要责任，且其所投资新企业的资产不用作其之前任何债务的担保）。所有资本应该根据公平市价按照美元评估。通过非法手段（如犯罪活动）所进行的直接或间接的收购所得资本不能被视为符合203（b）（5）法案的有效资产。
对投资金额的最低要求是：
- 一般情况，在美国最低的合格投资金额为 100万美元。
- 如果投资的目标就业区为高失业率地区或农村地区，则最低的合格投资金额
- 为50万美元。
* 所谓的目标就业区是指一个区域。
在投资的时候，若该目标就业区为农村偏远地区或一个在全美平均失业率150％以上的地区。
农村地区是指在大都市统计区以外的区域（由管理和预算办公室指定）。或指在根据每十年一次的人口普查，在有着20000或更多人口的城市或乡镇界限之外的地区。