Global Investment Voice

EB-5 is a complex and difficult area to understand, let alone adjudicate. In addition to the web of niche business and immigration laws, ever-changing regulations from Congress and new USCIS procedures constantly keep this industry on its toes. As a result, EB-5 Investment Voice is releasing a series of episodes examining recent USCIS trends and how to respond to them – including processing times,...

As global immigration attorneys, we are constantly tracking the latest shifts in human migration patterns. One trend we’ve noticed over the past few years is the rise of Afghanistan as a Citizenship by Investment market. Mona and Rebecca explored this lead and uncovered a hidden world of abuse, torture, and mistreatment of Afghan women which has led so many to flee the country in search of better,...

Last week, the U.S. Department of State released the  Visa Bulletin for October 2022 , which has put EB-5 Indian nationals into a visa backlog for the second time. In other words, there are more Indian EB-5 applicants than visas available under the new fiscal year’s quota numbers.  The new cut-off date under the  Final Action Date  (aka “Chart A”) is November 8, 2019.  If the industry recalls (whi...

When the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act was passed, Congress outlined several new policies on the way agents can operate. While there was once a time when agents could dominate the market and pocket large sums of money, USCIS has put a new emphasis on raising disclosure standards. What regulations do agents now have to follow? Will RIA inadvertently turn agents away from bringing investments into t...

One of the most exciting – and confusing – changes brought about by RIA was the allocation of visa set asides. The law allows applicants who invest in certain projects (rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure) access to reserved visas and priority processing. This sounds like a dream for investors who want to “skip the line” – particularly Chinese investors stuck in a backlog. But how do visa...

As the EB-5 program has undergone drastic changes this past year, so has the demographic makeup of investors. In this episode, Mona is joined by Sam Hussain (BLS Global) to discuss the shift in global investors and analyze topics such as the most popular residency programs, who wants to come to the US versus other countries, and even which countries US citizens themselves are migrating to. If you’...

After months of confusion from USCIS and a stalled Regional Center program, a district court ruling has finally reauthorized all Regional Centers previously certified before the program lapsed a year ago. The good news is that Regional Centers can now begin taking in capital from investors and filing I-526 petitions, but it’s not that simple. Tune in for a special episode of ‘EB-5 Investment Voice...

It’s been nearly three months since Congress reauthorized the Regional Center program, yet all Regional Centers remain uncertified with no new petitions filed.  Two lawsuits  have been brought up against USCIS, alleging economic harm and misinterpretation of the statute by the agency. In this episode, Mona and Rebecca are joined by John Pratt, Esq. (Kurzban, Kurzban, Tetzeli & Pratt) to summar...

USCIS sent the EB-5 community into a tizzy when they announced that all Regional Centers would need to be recertified. To make matters more confusing, they have provided vague guidance on the redesignation process – leaving many developers and attorneys uncertain about how the RC program is operating. In episode 1 of EB-5 Investment Voice’s new series, “Recertifying Regional Centers,” Mona Shah si...

The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (“RIA”) brought about a host of new changes to the EB-5 program, and with that, new uncertainties. In this episode, Mona and Rebecca give advice to investors looking to invest in post-RIA projects, as well as developers seeking to retain investors while many kinks of the EB-5 program have yet to be ironed out. Mona and Rebecca are joined by James Sozomenou (Signat...

Mere hours before USCIS’s listening session on the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (“RIA”), the agency announced the bombshell decision that all Regional Centers, including previously designated Centers, will not be allowed to file any new petitions until recertification has been approved. The new regulations, as well as an unfruitful listening session, have resulted in several EB-5 stakehol...

There’s a lot to unpack with the new EB-5 legislation, and the Global Investment Voice podcast is breaking it all down for you. In this episode, Mona Shah is joined by attorney Rohit Kapuria (Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP) to discuss what the new policies mean for existing investors and projects. If you are a developer or one of the thousands of entrepreneurs currently invested in a project,...

This month, the EB-5 community was rocked with news that EB-5 investors can now concurrently file their I-485 (adjustment of status) with their I-526 petition. Adjustment of status allows investors to reap additional benefits, such as gaining work authorization and/or obtaining advance parole for travel while awaiting adjudication of the I-526 petition, which can take years. In this highly request...

Congress has finally passed the long-awaited omnibus bill and, with it, new EB-5 legislation. In this Special Edition episode, Mona Shah is joined by Sam Udani (Founder, ILW) to discuss breaking new policy to the EB-5 program, including the reauthorization of the Regional Center program, increased minimum investment amounts, TEA regulations, and concurrent EAD filings. About our Guest Sam Udani is...

IT is one of the fastest growing industries, yet EB-5 petitioners are often hesitant to invest in technology-based projects. In the second installation of their Industry Insights Series, Mona and Rebecca sit down with technology development professionals to help prospective investors better understand this rapidly evolving industry. What assets do technology companies have? Are all the jobs outsou...

In the first installment of the Industry Insights Series, Mona and Rebecca take a deep dive into the US healthcare industry. How versatile is the industry? Is it truly “recession proof”? Where does funding come from? How does job creation work? Mona and Rebecca answer these questions and more to give prospective foreign investors a look into what makes the US healthcare industry so unique. About o...

After a particularly chaotic year for the EB-5 community, a lot of change could be on the horizon in 2022. For the first episode of the new year, Mona Shah is joined with Attorney Ron Klasko (Klasko Immigration Law Partners) to discuss what the future looks like for the EB-5 community, including Regional Center reauthorization, investment minimum amounts, and more! Listen in as Mona and Ron share...

How can Indian Investors maneuver EB5 and other visa types? Mona, Rebecca and Mark are joined by Jinhee Wilde to discuss.

All Countries are NOW Current! Mona and Mark are joined by Matt Gordon to discuss what this means for existing investors, new investors, as well as the EB-5 Program as a whole.

What are important security documents for direct pooled EB5 projects, why are they Important, who should care, and what can you do to be better prepared? Mona and Mark are joined by Michael Homier to explore this important topic.

Mona and Mark are joined by Sam Udani of of ILW.COM and Immigration Daily as well as Rajvir Batra and Ishaan Khanna of the American Immigrant Investor Alliance to discuss updated on the EB-5 Regional Center program.

Mona, Rebecca and Mark are joined by Bernard Rojano to discuss the Differing Interest Rates Among Direct Investment Projects.

We are joined by Ishaan Khanna and Rajvir Batra to discuss American Immigrant Investor Alliance’s investor first approach. You can find out more about American Immigrant Investor Alliance (AIIA) and their mission at https://goaiia.org/

Mona, Rebecca and Mark are joined by FIVE leaders of various opportunities to discuss direct pooled project and dispel common concerns. Projects and people appearing in this episode include:1. Silvercare Nursing & Rehabilitation Center – Dr. Xiaobin Li & Jeff Wang 2. Houston EB-5 – Roberto Contreras3. Tesla Direct Pooled Project – Robert Pearson4. The Catskills Hotel/NYC Restaurants EB5...

Mona and Mark are joined by Sam Udani to discuss a frenzy of recent EB-5 Updates and what it means for developers and investors. Have a topic or question you would like covered on a future episode of EB-5 Investment Voice? Let us know over at https://mshahlaw.com/contact-us/ or using the contact details below. Phone: 212-233-7473Email: info@mshahlaw.com To discover the show notes on this episode a...