By 
Here’s a more detailed look at the top countries of EB-5 number use from the Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division, Charles Oppenheim, at the IIUSA EB-5 Forum, which took place at the end of October 2019.
We’ll compare the latest EB-5 data to statistics from FY 2014- FY 2019 to see changing EB-5 number use trends.
Shifting EB-5 Markets
The current top countries of EB-5 number use shows the shifting EB-5 market. The biggest change is percentage of EB-5 going from Mainland China investors to the rest of the world. In FY 2014, Mainland China made up 85% of the EB-5 number use, now they make up only 45%. The major shift began in FY 2018 when Mainland China number use dropped from 75% in FY 2017 to 48% in FY 2018.
A Closer Look
In FY 2018, India jumped up to be a top EB-5 user, just behind Vietnam. In FY 2019, however, they edged out Vietnam to be second only to the Mainland China market. Other fast growing markets include Brazil, South Korea, Venezuela and Hong Kong.
FY 2019 EB-5 Number Use by Top Countries
What to Expect in FY 2020?
With the recent EB-5 regulation going into effect, we can expect the EB-5 markets to shift even more. The increased EB-5 minimum investment amount may have a huge impact on the Mainland China EB-5 market. The new investment amounts are $900k for a targeted employment area investment and $1.8 million for a non-targeted employment area investment. We may see a second major decline in the number of investors coming from Mainland China as the countries tight currency controls and huge backlog may deter future investors.
What we may begin to see is a big increase in new EB-5 markets emerging with more sophisticated investors looking for more brand name projects with competitive ROI.
Looking for more information about investing in the EB-5 Program under the new rules? Send us a message or fill out our free EB-5 evaluation below.
Comments