The latest insights and analysis on U.S. immigration law from Barella Global.
Following several tense days of election results and updates, a clear winner is finally visible. Joe Biden will serve the United States of America as the 46th President. Additionally, in a historic result, the United States will also gain its first female Vice President, Kamala Harris – who will also be the first VP of color.
COVID-19, the global pandemic most commonly known as the Coronavirus, has slowed (and in some cases devastated) much of the world’s leading economies. Since the virus emerged in China at the end of 2019, in a matter of months it spread through Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America. Leading economic powerhouses such as the European Union and the United States have taken drastic measures in an attempt to protect their respective healthcare systems. Unfortunately, the cost of slowing the virus has resulted in economic and financial devastation for many across the world.
The future of the E2 Treaty Investor Visa has never looked brighter. Despite what some perceive as an overhaul of the US immigration system by the Trump administration, the E2 visa remains relatively unchanged in its basic requirements.
Despite past scandal and a tarnished reputation among certain American politicians, the EB-5 investor visa remains an attractive and successful path for obtaining US permanent residency (Green Card).
The often negative press surrounding the EB-5 visa is underserved, as it focuses solely on corrupt project developers, greedy foreign agents, and incompetent immigration lawyers. It fails to highlight the success stories (which are many) and the contributions EB-5 investors make to US culture, and more importantly, the US economy.
Frequently our firm receives telephone calls from potential clients asking for our quote to source their company a L-1A visa for an executives or managers. After collecting the requisite preliminary information, the first question we ask is why do they believe the L-1A visa is the best visa option for their company.
Nearly every day our office receives a call from a potential European client who has just been refused a B1/B2 visa at one of the many European consular posts. Typically they call in a panic, worried they have blemished their otherwise spotless record with US immigration officials. The first question I ask is, “Why did you apply for a B1/B2 visa in the first place?” I receive a variety of responses ranging from, “I thought I needed one to travel” to “I thought I was doing the right thing by applying for a visa.” I then ask if they were represented by a US immigration lawyer for their visa application. 99% of the callers reply, “No.” The 1% who were represented by a lawyer typically retained a US immigration attorney whose primary office is based in the United States, where they are less familiar with immigration law at the consular level.
Now more than ever, prospective immigrant investors looking to obtain a green card through the EB-5 Visa Program should speak to an experienced EB-5 attorney.
As an immigration attorney representing EB-5 investors, one of the frequently asked questions is: what is the total cost of an EB-5 Regional Center investment? Savvy investors understand, in order to go through the EB-5 Visa process, they will incur other expenses in addition to the $500,000 capital investment.