The EB-5 industry has noticed a massive uptick in the number of EB-5 investors coming from India.

What’s drawing them in?

Increasing restrictions on other visa categories have made the EB-5 visa stand out as a more attractive option. There are no job or skill requirements and no employer sponsor requirements when investing in the EB-5 Program.

Indian nationals like the quicker route the EB-5 visa affords. Other visa categories can now take as long as ten years before an applicant can obtain a visa. The EB-2 Program can take upwards of 10 years.

The EB-5 visa also offers more freedom once the investor is in the U.S. The EB-5 investor is not required to live near their investment. They can purchase a home and live anywhere in the U.S. After living in the U.S., EB-5 investors may even qualify for in-state tuition fees for universities.

It lets the visa holder also obtain green cards for their spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 years all under one application. Additionally, 5 years after qualifying for a green card, an EB-5 investor and their family may qualify for U.S. citizenship.

Indian nationals are switching from investing in the Direct EB-5 Program to the Regional Center Program to reduce risk. Investing in the Regional Center Program not only costs less, it’s minimum investment requirement is $500,000, as opposed to the Direct Program’s minimum requirement of $1 million, but the Regional Center Program also has easier job creation requirements. Easier job creation requirements reduces the risk involved in investing in the EB-5 Program.

Even with the minimum investment amount of $500,000, numerous Indian entrepreneurs and high-wealth families feel that the EB-5 Program is an good option due to the United States’ strong economy, top-tier colleges, and world-class companies. Even with stricter immigration laws, the U.S. continues to attract top talent from around the world.

Despite the restrictions on remitting capital out of India, moving the $500,000 needed for the EB-5 Program is still do-able, especially for couples.

Assuming the EB-5 Regional Program will be renewed, one major concern EB-5 investors from India should wonder about is if the investment amount for the EB-5 Program will increase. This may bring up new issues when trying to remit capital out of India. Another major concern is when will India face retrogression? To combat both these issues, potential EB-5 investors should invest now, before the sunset date on September 30th, to lock in their spots.

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