The EB-5 visa provides a method of obtaining a green card for foreign nationals who invest money in the United States. The EB-5 visa has proven popular with a number of Israeli investors who have obtained a green card using the EB-5 program. The following post, originally published on the EB-5 Insights blog and written by Laura Foote Reiff, co-chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Business Immigration & Compliance Practice, dispels a number of myths regarding the EB-5 visa.  

Written By Laura Foote Reiff

Myth 1:  Buy a Green Card – The EB-5 program was established to help high-net-worth individuals buy a green card.

Fact:  The EB-5 program is a highly regulated employment-based permanent residence application that takes years to complete.  The initial application requires detailed proof of investment in a qualified project.  It also requires evidence of an investment of either 1 million USD or 500,000 USD and the creation of 10 jobs for U.S. workers.  The investor’s application is screened and, if approved, only a “conditional green card” is granted. The same in-depth review of the project and the investor’s background are conducted two years after conditional status is granted to ensure the individual’s continued eligibility for the EB-5 immigrant investor category.
Continue Reading Facts About the EB-5 Program Israeli Investors Need to Know