• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
ABIL
  • Home
  • About
  • ABIL Lawyers
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Mexico
      • United States
    • South America
      • Colombia
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • France
      • Germany
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
      • United Kingdom
    • Asia Pacific & Africa
      • Australia
      • Hong Kong
  • Global Immigration
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Mexico
      • United States
    • South America
      • Colombia
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • France
      • Germany
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
      • United Kingdom
    • Asia Pacific & Africa
      • Australia
      • China
      • India
      • Japan
  • Services
    • Complex Cases
    • Compliance
    • Corporate Immigration
    • Foreign Investment
    • Global Immigration
    • Government Policy
    • Litigation
    • Pro Bono
  • Industries
  • Resources
    • Blogs
    • News
    • Newsletters
    • Videos & Recordings
    • Articles
  • Contact
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

EB-5 & Other Investor News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 3, No. 1 • April 01, 2013

April 01, 2013/in EB-5 Investor News /by ABIL

Headlines:

1. USCIS-SEC Call Highlights Complexities of EB-5 Program – SEC subject matter experts discussed securities law compliance in the context of EB-5 regional centers and investments.

2. USCIS Issues Third Draft of Adjudications Policy Memo – Several commenters recommended revisions.3. USCIS Holds EB-5 Stakeholder Call on E-Filing Initiative – USCIS is considering integrating EB-5 processes into its electronic filing system.4. New Publications and Items of Interest – New Publications and Items of Interest5. Member News – Member News6. EB-5 Government Agency Links – EB-5 Government Agency Links


Details:

1. USCIS-SEC Call Highlights Complexities of EB-5 Program

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) invited interested individuals to participate in a stakeholder teleconference on April 3, 2013, to discuss the EB-5 immigrant investor program. During the call, subject matter experts from the SEC’s Divisions of Corporate Finance, Trading and Markets, Investment Management, and Enforcement discussed securities law compliance in the context of EB-5 regional centers and investments.

Among other things, an SEC representative noted that the definition of a “security” is broad and includes partnership interests. She said it is likely that an EB-5 investment is a security. Offers and sales of securities must be registered unless an exemption applies. Whether registered or not, federal securities law still applies, especially the antifraud provisions, she noted.

Regarding broker-dealer requirements, another SEC representative noted that if a person facilitates EB-5 investments in a U.S. business, he or she is probably engaged in brokerage activities. This means that the person would be subject to the broker-dealer rules, even if the investment is outside the United States. A case-by-case analysis is necessary to determine whether someone needs to register as a broker-dealer. For example, if you solicit the investment or get paid based on the investment, you are a broker-dealer. The same is true for advertising. If you are paid for finding investors, or have a “salesman’s stake,” you might be subject to broker-dealer rules.

If you are not a broker-dealer, you might still be an investment advisor if you are providing investment advice for compensation, another SEC representative noted. Depending on how regional centers are structured, they may have to be registered under the Investment Company Act (ICA), which is very broad. Any issuer that invests or trades in securities through pooled investors may be an investment company and be required to register under the ICA. There are exemptions, so the SEC recommended getting good professional advice from a qualified attorney.

The SEC did not comment on specific scenarios raised by participants or on particular EB-5 practices to avoid. The SEC advised listeners to seek advice from a securities attorney on specific issues.

RECORDING OF CALL (DROPBOX)

USCIS OMBUDSMAN’S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Back to Top


2. USCIS Issues Third Draft of Adjudications Policy Memo

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released the third draft of its foundational EB-5 adjudications policy memorandum in February 2013. USCIS first released the memo in November 2011, and released a second draft in January 2012.

Several commenters recommended revisions. Robert C. Divine, Vice President of IIUSA: Association to Invest in the USA, noted that, among other things, the latest draft of the memo opposes a guaranteed right of an investor’s eventual ownership in a particular asset (to be subtracted from capital at risk). He said that USCIS has said this orally in stakeholder meetings and in some adjudications, but never publicly in writing. He also noted that the latest draft clarifies that payment to an investor of a return on an investment (i.e., profit versus redemption of capital) during or after conditional residency is acceptable. The draft also recognizes risk-spreading by a single investment enterprise among multiple projects, but Mr. Divine noted that USCIS has tended to state that the projects must be identified in the I-526 of each investor relying on them. Mr. Divine lamented that the latest draft “fails to provide desperately needed guidance and clarification on many topics,” which he listed in his comments. He said that USCIS “simply is not keeping up with the number of questions that reasonably arise for well-intentioned developers and investors – questions that need predictable answers for prospective planning of major enterprises and projects.” He said the EB-5 program will not be attractive to developers and investors if they can only find out what the rules might be after they have spent “hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in project development and marketing and the investors file their I-526 petitions.”

IIUSA urged USCIS to implement the memo but recommended some revisions before finalizing it. IIUSA advocated:

  • Including language from previous agency interpretation on crediting construction jobs and/or the resulting indirect/induced economic impact to EB-5 investors;
  • Including language from previous agency interpretation on crediting indirect jobs created outside of a regional center’s boundaries;
  • Including language from previous agency interpretation on “tenant occupancy” economic model guidance;
  • Including language from previous agency interpretation on “visitors’ spending” economic input;
  • Establishing clear and commercially reasonable guidelines on the definition of material change/initial business plans;
  • Stating specifically that bridge financing can be an approvable use of EB-5 capital;
  • Barring foreign ownership of regional centers;
  • Allowing North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes of two digits and/or longer to be approved for a regional center’s particular industry sector;
  • Specifically stating which existing administrative memoranda will be rescinded after the memo is implemented;
  • Limiting the number of requests for evidence issued to one per regional center business plan and/or economic model; and
  • Issuing an I-797 approval notice for I-924 amendment applications for “actual” projects seeking pre-approval.

DRAFT USCIS EB-5 MEMO
IIUSA’S COMMENTS
MR. DEVINE’S COMMENTS

Back to Top


3. USCIS Holds EB-5 Stakeholder Call on E-Filing Initiative

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) held a stakeholder teleconference on March 28, 2013, concerning its plans to include filing of Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur, and other forms used in the EB-5 process in USCIS’s “ELIS” (Electronic Immigration System). The Web-based system allows applicants to create an account and file an application online. At the teleconference, a USCIS representative said the agency is integrating EB-5 processes into its electronic system. The I-526 will be the first of four related forms being moved to ELIS. USCIS said the ability to see the status of a case online will also be provided in the future.

DETAILED NOTES ON THE CALL

MORE INFORMATION ON USCIS ELIS

FAQ ON USCIS ELIS

Back to Top


4. New Publications and Items of Interest

Investment-for-visa schemes. An article in Forbes notes, among other things, that investors should beware of false claims that an investment in a venture is safer or guaranteed due to an influx of foreign cash.

Several ABIL members co-authored and edited the Global Business Immigration Practice Guide, released by LexisNexis. The Practice Guide is a one-stop resource for dealing with questions related to business immigration issues in immigration hotspots around the world.

This comprehensive guide is designed to be used by:

  • Human resources professionals and in-house attorneys who need to instruct, understand, and liaise with immigration lawyers licensed in other countries;
  • Business immigration attorneys who regularly work with multinational corporations and their employees and HR professionals; and
  • Attorneys interested in expanding their practice to include global business immigration services.

This publication provides:

  • An overview of the immigration law requirements and procedures for over 20 countries;
  • Practical information and tips for obtaining visas, work permits, resident status, naturalization, and other nonimmigrant and immigrant pathways to conducting business, investing, and working in those countries;
  • A general overview of the appropriate options for a particular employee; and
  • Information on how an employee can obtain and maintain authorization to work in a target country.

Each chapter follows a similar format, making it easy to compare practices and procedures from country to country. Useful links to additional resources and forms are included. Collected in this Practice Guide, the expertise of ABIL’s attorney members across the globe will serve as an ideal starting point in your research into global business immigration issues.

 

Order HERE. International customers who do not want to order through the bookstore can order through Nicole Hahn at (518) 487-3004 or [email protected].

Green Card Stories. The immigration debate is boiling over. Americans are losing the ability to understand and talk to one another about immigration. We must find a way to connect on a human level. Green Card Stories does just that. The book depicts 50 recent immigrants with permanent residence or citizenship in dramatic narratives, accompanied by artistic photos. If the book’s profilees share a common trait, it’s a mixture of talent and steely determination. Each of them overcame great challenges to come and stay in America. Green Card Stories reminds Americans of who we are: a nation of immigrants, from all walks of life and all corners of the earth, who have fueled America’s success. It tells the true story of our nation: E pluribus unum–out of many, one.

Green Card Stories has won five national awards. It was named a Nautilus book award silver medal winner, and won a silver medal in the Independent Book Publishers Association’s Benjamin Franklin Award in the multicultural category. The book also won a Bronze Medal in the Independent Publisher’s “IPPY” Awards and an honorable mention for the 2012 Eric Hoffer Book Award. Ariana Lindquist, the photographer, won a first-place award in the National Press Photographers Association’s Best of Photojournalism 2012 and was a finalist for the International Photography Awards. The writer, Saundra Amrhein, was nominated as a finalist on the short list for the 2011 Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Awards. Green Card Stories is also featured on National Public Radio’s photo blog.

For more information, e-mail Lauren Anderson at [email protected] or see the Green Card Stories website.

ABIL on Twitter. The Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers is now available on Twitter: @ABILImmigration. Recent ABIL member blogs are available on the ABIL blog.

Back to Top


5. Member News

Several ABIL members and firms were listed in Chambers Global 2013:

FosterQuan, LLP (Robert Loughran)
Ivener & Fullmer LLP (Mark Ivener)
Klasko Rulon Stock & Seltzer (H. Ronald Klasko)
Pearl Law Group (Julie Pearl)
Seyfarth Shaw LLP (Angelo Paparelli)
Wolfsdorf Immigration Law Group (Bernard Wolfsdorf)

Other Notable Practitioners:
Francis Chin
Charles Kuck
Cyrus Mehta
Stephen Yale-Loehr

Mark Ivener gave a presentation on an EB-5 panel on April 19, 2013, at the EB-5 Investment Visa Match-Making Forum in the City of Industry, California. Mr. Ivener’s speech was “EB-5 for Investors.”

Klasko, Rulon, Stock & Seltzer, LLP held its Annual Spring Seminar on April 23, 2013, at the Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Topics will include legislation, USCIS policies and practices, CBP programs, J-1 waivers, university/hospital roundtable, corporate roundtable, employment eligibility verification, travel issues, prevailing wage issues, and more. H. Ronald Klasko spoke at the seminar. MORE INFORMATION

Charles Kuck has published several new blog entries. “Three Ways To Get Ready for Immigration Reform” “USCIS and Why You Need an Immigration Attorney”

Robert Loughran organized and moderated a full-day EB-5 Immigrant Investor Summit for Attorneys and Developers in Dallas, Texas, on March 15, 2013. The event was sponsored by ILW. Mr. Loughran independently presented on “source of funds issues” in Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur.

Cyrus Mehta has published a new blog entry. “212(k) Waiver Victory Teaches That It’s Not Worth Manipulating the Immigration System To Settle Personal Disputes“.

Angelo Paparelli has published several new blog entries. “The Xenophobes Can’t Kill Immigration Reform – But What Should CIR Supporters Do Now?” “Rethinking Immigration: If America Will Welcome More Entrepreneurs, Why Not More Creatives?” “Will the New Labor-Business Accord Produce an Immigration Death Panel?”

Mr. Paparelli was quoted in Law360 on April 18, 2013, in “Immigration Reform Bill Offers Employers A Mixed Bag.” He said, “I think the fact that the U.S. Chamber [of Commerce] and the AFL-CIO reached a consensus on a lesser-skilled worker visa is wonderful, but the numbers make the program illusory,” and noted that the cap on W visas was too low to fill the positions employers need.

Bernard Wolfsdorf has published a blog entry. “Update on Wait Lines for Chinese EB-5 Investors – Is It Really Good News?”

Stephen Yale-Loehr was quoted on CNN.com on April 18, 2013, in “Immigration Reformers Seek To Avoid Déjà Vu.” Among other things, he noted that “[t]he chances of getting something enacted this year are less than 50% because of the short number of legislative days, and the House Republicans may not feel the same sense of urgency to enact immigration reform legislation.”

Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted on WBEZ in a transcript of a radio interview. He said he thinks the E-2 visa “is a good example of a true entrepreneurial visa. We should try to make it easier for people who want to do that to come to the United States more easily in the future, and to be able to get a permanent green card.”

Mr. Yale-Loehr was quoted by ABC online on April 16, 2013, in “How Unlimited Visas Could Affect Immigration.” He noted that green cards for spouses and children of permanent residents are in demand and backlogged.

ABIL members participated in the Invest in America Summit in Shanghai. At the Invest in America Summit in Shanghai from March 15-18, 2013, Mr. Klasko, Mr. Wolfsdorf, and Mr. Yale-Loehr were featured as VIP speakers. ABIL also hosted a booth to offer resources to attendees of the summit. Featured in the photo are (left to right) Mr. Wolfsdorf, Mr. Yale-Loehr, and Laura Danielson.

Back to Top


6. EB-5 Government Agency Links

USCIS Web Page on EB-5 Immigrant InvestorsUSCIS Policy and Procedural Memoranda on EB-5 Investors

Immigrant Investor Regional Centers List

Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur

Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions

Form I-924, Application for Regional Center Under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program

Form I-924A, Supplement to Form I-924

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://www.abil.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ABIL_Logo-2021.png 0 0 ABIL https://www.abil.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ABIL_Logo-2021.png ABIL2013-04-01 12:03:472019-04-15 12:06:04EB-5 & Other Investor News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 3, No. 1 • April 01, 2013

Archive

  • September 2025
  • August 2025
  • July 2025
  • June 2025
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • October 2020
  • August 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006

ABIL is a corporation with over 40 top-rated immigration law firms and 1,500+ professionals.

News

  • ABIL Immigration Insider • September 7, 2025
  • ABIL Global Update • August 2025
  • ABIL Immigration Insider • August 3, 2025
  • ABIL Immigration Insider • July 6, 2025

Sign Up for our Newsletters

Sign up for our Immigration Insider & Global Updates Newsletters

Select list(s) to subscribe to


By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
© Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers (ABIL) All Rights Reserved 2025
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Home
  • About
  • ABIL Lawyers
  • Global Immigration
  • Services
  • Industries
  • Resources
  • Contact
News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 4A • April... News from the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers Vol. 9, No. 4B • April...
Scroll to top