Earlier this month, The US Department of State updated its Report of the Visa Office 2014 with the section on EB-5 visas issued: Section V Immigrant Visas Issued and Adjustments of Status Subject to Numerical Limitations (by Foreign State of Chargeability): Fiscal Year 2014, Part 3 (Employment Fifth and Totals, Grand Totals).
IIUSA Editorial Committee member Suzanne Lazicki put together an excellent chart revealing visa data according to immigrant investor origin (and percentage total) and visas issued to investors in direct vs. Regional Center investments. See below.
When we look more closely at the data, we notice that the number of EB5 investors from Mainland China continues to grow. In fact, in FY2014, 9,128 EB-5 visas or 85.4% of total visas went to Chinese applicants (versus 6,895 visas or 80.5% of the total in FY2013). In the Q3 Issue of the Regional Center Business Journal, IIUSA Policy Analyst Lee Li organized historical EB-5 visa usage data illustrating how demand from Chinese investors has driven the overall growth of the EB-5 Program over the past several years.
Aside from China, EB-5 investor demand is largest in South Korea, Mexico, Taiwan and Vietnam. With retrogression for China visa applicants predicted this fiscal year, EB-5 stakeholders should take heed of this important data.
(Click Link Below to View in PDF)
(Click Link Below to View in PDF)
