On November 10, 2020, Sarah M. Kendall, Chief of the Investor Program Offices (IPO) at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will address attendees at the IIUSA Virtual EB-5 Industry Forum. We are pleased to be able to offer the industry this important platform to engage with Ms. Kendall (and other industry leaders) at a critical time for the EB-5 Program.
Ms. Kendall has graciously offered to address industry questions submitted in advance of the discussion. Along those lines, IIUSA has worked with our committees, industry partners, and members to collect the most salient questions which have subsequently been submitted to Ms. Kendall. Questions cover a litany of industry concerns and areas in need of additional clarification including IPO staffing levels, RFE’s, new USCIS policy, TEA’s and more.
In particular, we hope Ms. Kendall will be able to address the following items:
Processing Times – Industry and visa applicants need clarity and the ability to anticipate their business and life decisions. As processing times continue to increase and uncertainty around whether USCIS staff will be furloughed, lengthy processing times negatively impact the EB-5 Program and the badly needed jobs it creates. We would appreciate in addressing this area you share with us the respective staffing levels dedicated to processing each the I-924, I-526 and I- 829 applications, specific actions being taken to reduce processing times and eliminate backlogs and targets with timeframes the Agency has set for improving performance in this area.
Redeployment – Recent policy guidance for redeploying investor capital actually impacts the industry and investors as a dramatic policy shift, especially given the new policy’s retroactivity and geographic restrictions. We would appreciate knowing the process by which the comments submitted in August will be reviewed, how the Agency will communicate its response to these comments, and an approximate time frame as to when it expects that communication to be made on this very important topic.
Full Questions
Tune in to the IIUSA Virtual Forum for This and Much More!
There’s still time to register for this year’s event. On top of Ms. Kendall’s presentation, guests will also hear from Charlie Oppenheim, Chief of the Visa Control and Reporting Division at the U.S. Department of State as well as leaders from throughout the industry. Other topics include:
- Post Election and 2021 Congressional Outlook
- Real Estate Workouts
- Opportunity Zones & EB-5
- EB-5 Legal Considerations
- Investor Market Trends and Outlooks
- E2 and EB-1C Alternatives to EB-5?
