On February 26, 2014, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) staged its first quarterly teleconference engagement with EB-5 stakeholders of 2014 and, in fact, the first public discussion of the Program since an EB-5 Quarterly Stakeholder Engagement was held October 16, 2012. The meeting, led by new EB-5 Program Director Nicolas Colucci, USCIS Deputy Associate Director of Field Operations (and former interim Chief of the EB-5 Program) Dan Renaud, and EB-5 Program Office Deputy Chief Robert Cox, sought to address a range of issues pertaining to data and processing times, administration of the EB-5 Program and clarification of policy issues. Many of the subject matter covered questions posed by IIUSA in the lead-up to the engagement. Among the many issues discussed were:
- Personnel and Processing Times
- Electronic Filing
- Hypothetical Detail
- Sale of Regional Centers
- Targeted Employement Areas (TEAs)
- RC Geography Standard
- Public Works Projects
- Redemption/Call Options
- Bridge Financing
- Guest Expenditures
- Job Creation Evidence at I-829
- Sustaining Environment
We encourage you to read a summary of the teleconference by Robert C. Divine, IIUSA Vice President and Chair of Global Immigration Practice at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C. Mr. Divine, having served between 2004 and 2006 as Chief Counsel and, for a time Acting Director of USCIS, lends a unique perspective on how the agency is currently attending to policy decisions. Furthermore, IIUSA has posted a recording of the teleconference to I3 Online. You can download the recording here.
