Dear Readers,
Like with each publication of the Regional Center Business Journal, this edition also touches on many new developments in the EB-5 industry. Emerging investor markets present challenges, some unique and others more familiar. Regulations that became effective in November 2019 increase the minimum costs to investors, alter thinking about the capacity of the EB-5 program, and fuel innovations in design and presentation of investment opportunities. When the EB-5 visa backlog is combined with the USCIS changes in petition adjudication, there is no end to contemplation about the timing implications for the issuers, as well as the investors and their families. And, of course, there is the ubiquitous task of policy making on the question of how to steer the EB-5 program in a direction that addresses the needs of the varied stakeholders. The reader will get tastes of all that in this edition.
While the COVID19 pandemic prevents holding the IIUSA spring advocacy conference in Washington DC, we are grateful for the efforts of the many authors, editors and IIUSA staff who have collaborated to bring this edition of the Journal to you in digital format. As always, we look forward to any suggestions for future editions of the Journal.
Lincoln Stone
Stone Grezegorek & Gonzalez LLP
Chair IIUSA Editorial Committee
READ HERE
IN THIS EDITION
Advocacy
- What Have You Done for Me Lately? by Aaron Grau, Executive Director, IIUSA
Education
- Winners and Losers Under Recent Regulations, Administrative Tweaks, and Visa Bulletin Advances: by Cletus M. Weber, Founder & Partner, Peng & Weber, PLLC; Elizabeth Peng, Founder & Partner, Peng & Weber PLLC
- Regional Center Considerations Under New TEA Regime: by Walter S. Gindin, Director, Legal Affairs, CanAm Enterprises
- New TEA Rules Frequently Asked Questions: by Alex Brown, Senior Economist, Impact DataSource
- USCIS “Pivots” Which Investors Get Adjudicated First: by Robert C. Divine, Shareholder, Baker Donelson
- EB-5 Numbers and the COVID-19 Economic Recovery: by Carolyn Lee, Founder, Carolyn Lee, PLLC
- Irrevocable Commitment of Investment Funds: Filing and Approvable I-526 Petition with Installments of the Investment Requirement: by Edward Beshara, Managing Partner, Beshara PA
Investor Markets
- Investment Migration and the State of Play in Europe: by Bruno L’Cecuyer, Chief Executive, Investment Migration Council
- How the Nigerian Travel Ban Affects EB-5 Investors: by Acho Azuike, Managing Director, Houston EB-5 Regional Center
- The Country of Brazil, in the Spotlight with EB-5 Immigration Investors: by Karla Bledsoe, Director of International Relations, Moreno & Villarubia LLP
- EB-5 Investor Market Trends in 2018: The Largest Markets and the Rising Stars for Raising EB-5 Capital: by Lee Li, Director of Policy Research & Data Analytics, IIUSA
Membership
- New IIUSA Introductory Membership Program Drives Substantial Membership Growth in Q1: bt Laura Kelly, Chair, IIUSA Membership & Investor Market Development Committee; Vice President of Marketing, NES Financial
