Originally Published in the April 2020 Regional Center Business Journal
By Karla Bledsoe, Director of International Relations, Moreno & Villarubia, LLP
Permanent residence in the United States (U.S.) has become increasingly attractive high-net worth Brazilian individuals. I am a native of Brazil, and in the latter part of 2019, I and my business colleague, Marco A. Moreno (Mr. Moreno) , flew to Brazil to meet with prospective investors as well as law firms and venture capitalists. On this trip to Sao-Paolo, Brazil, I observed and interacted with wealthy Brazilians, mostly entrepreneurs, who have taken an interest in learning more about investing their money in the United States in order to relocate here permanently. While these potential investors cited a number of reasons for their desire to move to the United States, some of the key reasons cited included the following: (a) highly regarded public-school systems; (b) safe neighborhoods and environments; (b) the high level participation in sports offered to children in grammar school; (c) and lucrative business development opportunities. A potential investor’s personal motivations should be used to determine whether Regional Center EB5 investment, or Direct EB5 investment is the right path.
For investors primarily looking to provide opportunities to their children or loved ones, Regional Center investment is a highly beneficial choice. It allows investors to seek out permanent residence without being required to manage or operate a business in the United States. To give this some context, Mr. Abrao, a self-employed investor, stated that he applied for the EB-5 to become a Permanent Resident in order to pass the benefits along to his children. He indicated that he wants his children to avail themselves of the opportunities in the U.S. to grow. “I know it’s a big investment,” Mr. Abroa explained, “but I want a better quality of life, and want to give my children the opportunity to explore better options in the U.S. They may want to come back to Brazil one day and apply what they learned in the US a choice that they would make independently as grown adults.”
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Register for IIUSA’s Next Investor Market Webinar: Latin America for 
Additional Insights
Later this month, Invest in the USA (IIUSA) and the World Trade Center Sao Paulo for the next edition of the IIUSA EB-5 Investor Market Webinar Series. During this live webinar discussion, IUSA members and market experts will discuss the in’s and out’s of U.S. investment immigration and take a deep dive into some of the largest investor markets around Latin America.
The support of the World Trade Center Sao Paulo and their affiliated groups throughout Latin America will ensure the event is well attended by leading international stakeholders and investors from across the region.
