PLEASE NOTE: THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE IS BASED UPON THE LAW, TERMINOLOGY, AND EB-5 SITUATION AS OF 1998.  IT IS NOT CURRENT INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON FOR VISA STRUCTURING PURPOSES!! 11/20/98an examination of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Category andImplications of Recent INS decisionmakingby Jose E. LatourWhile most immigration attorneys handling business visa cases haveat least dabbled in EB-5 petitions, the reality is that such filingsare still few and far between. This article will explore thefeasibility of the EB-5 NOT from a technical/legal standpoint, butfrom the standpoint of the immigrant investors concerns. The purpose,then, is to assist a potential EB-5 investor in deciding whether thismechanism is indeed in his or her interest.I will not…

Part 3 of the article writtenby José Manuel Pallí.  Parts 1 & 2 were posted in the past two days. LA TRASTIENDA DE LAS VISASEB-5 Por José Manuel Pallí El Centro Regional de mis sueños sería aquel capaz decrear el modelo de inversión más conservador y prudente pero que aún así conserve las características que hacen riesgosaa la inversión del extranjero solicitante de la visa (poner el dinero en riesgoes uno de los requisitos del programa para visas EB-5), lo que implica reconocerque no estamos buscando una inversión de diseño convencional, sino unainversión enfocada en un objetivo central: la obtención de la visa de residentepermanente en USA.[1]   Cuales son los parámetros que yo le aplicaría a esadiligencia o búsqueda? El elemento imprescindible que necesito tene…

Part 2 of the article writtenby José Manuel Pallí.  Part 1 was posted yesterday, May 25 and Part 3 will beposted tomorrow, May 27. LA TRASTIENDA DE LAS VISASEB-5 Por José Manuel Pallí La idea detrás de éste programa que reduce a la mitad –deun millón de dólares a medio millón- el monto de la inversión que el extranjeroque solicita un visado EB-5 para residir permanentemente en USA debe poner enriesgo, es facilitar el cumplimiento de uno de los requisitos claves para laobtención de la visa: la comprobación de que un mínimo de 10 empleos o puestosde trabajo han sido creados por dicha inversión. La preocupación en cuanto a la efectividad de éstemecanismo pasa por dos vertientes. Una es la posibilidad de que, aúnsatisfaciendo cuidadosamente todos los requisitos que la ley m…

This article was written by José Manuel Pallí, my cousin, colleague and friend.  José Manuel’s eloquence in Spanish, along with his distinctly pragmatic understanding of the choices faced by prospective immigrant investors, uniquely qualifies him to examine the EB-5 Regional Center visa at a deep level and, for the very first time, in Spanish.  Thanks, Primus!  [Parts 2 and 3 will be posted Weds. and Thurs. FYI, so stay tuned!] LA TRASTIENDA DE LAS VISAS EB-5 Por José Manuel Pallí   Las circunstancias adversas por las que ha atravesadodurante los últimos tres años la economía (la del mundo todo, peroespecialmente la de USA) en general, y nuestro tan cacareado sistemafinanciero, en particular, nos han llevado a muchos a cambiar nuestrosparadigmas, cuando no nuestros modelos nego…

One of the greatest challenges in helping prospectiveforeign investors understand the EB-5 regional center investment opportunitycenters around the linguistic issues associated with translating what isinvariably some highly complex language. Let's face it: this is some complicated stuff.  When I sit down with a fellow AILA member todiscuss their potentially interested EB 5 investor, it typically takes me abouttwo hours to take the attorney from a rudimentary understanding of the regionalcenter EB-5 process to a meaningful grasp of its finer details.  You can understand why my having to explainthis to a non-attorney in a language other than English is perhaps the mostdifficult part of my job.The EB-5 regional center with which I work is, I believe,the most transparent an…

When you think about it, there are very rational reasonsbehind the truism that the squeaky wheel invariably gets the oil.  In fact, but for the acoustic disruptiontriggered by said wheel, the bearings would silently grind down and bring the wholemovement to a standstill, without warning. The disruptive squeak serves as notice that something is amissand permits the possibility of corrective action by an attentive listener.Today, in Caracas, Venezuela's squeaking is loud and clearto me. As I meet with successful business person after successful businessperson to discuss investment-based immigration, the growing concern over thecurrent political and economic climate becomes increasingly obvious. Theunderlying vibe of "let's see what happens" which permeated last year&…

As I sit at the gate waiting to board for Caracas, I'm remembering the rules I have learned from my most recent trips to Venezuela to visit clients and prospective clients.Don't wear anything red unless you want to be perceived as a supporter of the governmentDon't pay for anything with your credit card unless you want to spend $500 on dinner; let your local clients invite you and square up laterDon't take a taxi except from the safe hotel where you are stayingCarry an extra wallet and cheap cell phone in case you are mugged; they are the sacrificial lambs.Stop expressing surprise every time you realize that despite all the politics, crime, and problems, you are actually visiting a petroleum-fueled economic hot zone where an awful lot of people are living pretty good li…

"If You Build it…They Might NOT Come"….                                                                        -paraphrasing the line from Field of Dreams Sheep mentality is a terrible thing. It is something thathas plagued mankind since the earliest written records, something which seemsto be more a byproduct of fundamental human emotional patterns than the resultof consistently flawed intelligence.Recently, we have seen sheep mentality – and it's closelyrelated cousin, greed – destroy our real estate mar…