IMMIGRATION NEWS BRIEFS
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services recently announced that the federal EB-5 green card program will be extended for another three years.
The USCIS limits the number of visas for the EB-5 green card program to 10,000 each year, and the program is rapidly gaining popularity. With strict immigration laws in the United States, many wealthy foreign nationals may be wondering what the program entails and if applying for an EB-5 visa is the right decision.
The EB-5 program for immigrant investors allows foreign nationals to obtain a U.S. green card if they invest in a new commercial enterprise that creates 10 jobs in the United States. It presents a great opportunity for qualified immigrants to live in the United States while making a large, much-needed contribution to the economy. The investor, spouse and minor children are granted a two-year permanent residency as well, which is contingent on meeting EB-5 business regulations.
To obtain an EB-5 visa, a person must find a commercial enterprise to invest in. The enterprise can be any for-profit business, including a partnership, holding company, sole proprietorship, joint venture, corporation, or other business, according to the USCIS website. An investor may choose to fund a smaller project on their own, or join other investors in funding a larger business venture.
The Capital Investment Requirements vary based on the location of the proposed business. For rural areas or those with a high unemployment rate—at 150 percent more than the United States average—the minimum investment required is $500,000. For urban areas, the minimum required investment jumps to $1 million.
The federal EB-5 program will remain in effect through September 30, 2015.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)—FAQs
Q: Is there a deadline to this program?
A: No, as long as you meet the requirements, there is no
deadline for initial applications.
Q: How long is it taking to receive approval for DACA?
What about my work permit?
A: It is taking about 2-4 months for the DACA and the
work permits are being approved at the same time, or very
close behind.
Q: I have not received any notice from USCIS and
my case has been filed for over a month. What should
I do?
A: The receipt notices are not taking very long (about
one-to-two weeks), so you should call the USCIS customer
service number at 1-800-375-5283 to verify that the
case has been received. Also, check and see if your filing
fee has been cashed and that that your mail delivery
was confirmed.
Details on number of DACA cases received through
October 10, 2012
1. No. of requests accepted for processing: 179,794
2. No. of biometric services appts scheduled: 158,408
3. No. of requests under review: 6,416
4. No. of requests approved: 4,591
VISA PREFERENCE NUMBERS FOR NOVEMBER 2012
|
FAMILY |
India |
Pakistan/Bangladesh |
|
1st |
01Nov05 |
01Nov05 |
|
2A |
15Jul10 |
15Jul10 |
|
2B |
08Oct04 |
08Oct04 |
|
3rd |
01Jun02 |
01Jun02 |
|
4th |
22Mar01 |
22Mar01 |
|
EMPLOYMENT |
India |
Pakistan/Bangladesh |
|
1st |
Current |
Current |
|
2nd |
01Sep04 |
Current |
|
3rd |
22Oct02 |
22Nov06 |
|
Other |
22Oct02 |
22Nov06 |
|
4th |
Current |
Current |
|
5th |
Current |
Current1B |
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