Even as economic investment opportunities may be drying up elsewhere, such opportunities abound in the United States.
For about the last twenty years, China has been a sought-after destination for foreign capital, as relaxed laws and a growing economy made a very attractive investment environment. But the September 2017 economic figures from China were incredibly weak almost all across the board, leading many to speculate that the country has yet to move past the economic crisis of 2016, which included two stock market crashes and a currency devaluation.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, the Brexit controversy drags on, creating a great deal of uncertainty not only for the UK, but in the remainder of the European Union. There are signs of slower economic growth and higher unemployment rates, and that combination spells trouble for new investors.
Why America?
For the past several months, traditional gateway cities like New York and Los Angeles have been investment hotspots. While opportunities remain in places like these, they may not be as plentiful — or as financially attractive — as they were in early and mid-2017.
Fortunately, the United States is a very big place.
Places like Nashville, Phoenix, and Denver offer a lower cost of doing business and emerging opportunities in the energy and manufacturing sectors. Many other locations, most notably Salt Lake City and Raleigh, are in the midst of significant employment booms, and all those people with disposable incomes need places to spend them.
Investor Visa Benefits
All these opportunities are simply theoretical without assistance from qualified lawyers, because attorneys are integral to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Whereas some other countries offer limited-purpose investment visas which are essentially only valid for a few business trips, the EB-5 is a green card visa that has significant benefits for both investors and their families, including:
- The ability to live in, work in, and travel to any location in the country without any need for renewal or re-application. So, if that opportunity in Seattle does not work out, you can follow up on a lead in Las Vegas, and stop to see the sights in San Francisco on the way.
- The potential to own your own business, as opposed to the limited potential of investing in someone else’s business.
- A path to naturalization for both you and qualified members of your family, because they all get green cards as well.
The minimum investment has always been as low as $500,000, and in 2011, the State Department made some changes to make EB-5 visas even easier to acquire.
Qualification
Attorneys can also help expedite the process of qualifying for these visas. EB-5 investors usually have two full years to invest the minimum amount of capital and create, or preserve, at least ten domestic jobs.
Because they create so many jobs in both construction and in the service industry, many EB-5 investors gravitate towards commercial real estate and other such ventures, and these kids of opportunities are tailor-made for the burgeoning, high-employment locations mentioned earlier.
Unlike some other visa programs, there are no national limits or caps to worry about. Everyone capable of contributing to the American economy is more than welcome here.
James Hendrickson is an internet entrepreneur, blogging junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.
