What are EB-5 visa set asides?

The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act introduced a pivotal innovation: visa set-asides for specific projects. These categories, encompassing rural-based, high-unemployment urban, and infrastructure projects, offer some key advantages:

• Dedicated Visas: Investors in these projects receive 20%, 10%, and 2%, respectively, of the annual 10,000 EB-5 visas, bypassing lengthy backlogs experienced by other investors.
• Faster Processing: This priority access for rural projects significantly reduces waiting times, leading to quicker green card acquisition.

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These set-asides represent a unique opportunity for prospective EB-5 investors seeking faster and more predictable green card processing. By aligning your investment with these designated project categories, you can significantly expedite your path to permanent residency in the United States.

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Video Transcript

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The visa set-asides under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act fall into three categories. Those three categories are 1) rural-based projects, 2) high-unemployment-based projects, and 3) infrastructure projects. Investors who invest in rural projects – they are reserved 20% of the overall 10,000 EB-5 visas allotted each year, while investors investing in urban high-unemployment area projects they are allotted or reserved 10% of the overall 10,000 EB-5 visas issued each year. While investors are investing in infrastructure projects infrastructure projects, they’re reserved 2% of the overall EB-5 visas. These visas set aside categories are key for the EB-5 program right now because this is the first time that the government has issued such set aside visa categories. The investors moving forward now are first in line in terms of waiting on these EB-5 visas and aren’t stuck in long backlogs that unfortunately previous investors have been subjected to. Reserve set aside as a great visa category to take advantage of.

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Presented by:
Christian Triantaphyllis, Partner, Jackson Walker LLP