New American Investors Making a Difference in the Economy

EB-5, the Immigration Investor Program managed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), contributed $2.6 billion to the GDP, supported 33,000 jobs, and created $346 million in federal tax revenue between 2010 and 2011.

New American Investors Making a Difference in the Economy discusses the unique nature of EB-5 as a visa program whose purpose is to create jobs and economic growth. Through interviews with industry experts, the report describes the evolution of EB-5 from its initial phase as an underused program to its more recent growth and expansion to approximately 400 regional centers.  In its early years, the EB- 5 program suffered from problems that included a lax regulatory framework, low utilization and fraudulent investment schemes. The report discusses the many factors that contributed to the resurgence of the program including the creation of regional centers, which offered models for economic growth. Vermont, for instance, created a successful model for a state-government-owned, -operated and -managed EB-5 program. In Pennsylvania and California, regional centers collaborated with non-profit development agencies to fuel job creation. EB-5 has also become a more popular and reliable way to obtain residency in the U.S. Between 2005-2012, approval percentages have increased from 53% to an average of 81% for conditional petitioners. The report argues that the EB-5 program is a crucial tool for economic growth in the U.S. and must be managed with proper oversight in order for its impact to be maximized. (Miguel Colon for The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.'s Public Education Institute) 

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