INVESTMENT VISA
Two visa categories are available to foreigners who invest in the u.s.
- The U.S. company must have the nationality of a country that has a treaty of commerce and/or friendship with the U.S. Countries that have an E treaty qualification can be found here
- The business must represent a substantial, non-marginal business investment in the U.S. It can be used for small or medium-sized businesses or for large multinational conglomerates.
- The foreign applicant may be the owner of the company or a prospective managerial or essential employee if he/she has the same nationality as the U.S. company.
Permanent resident status—popularly known as the “green card”—gives foreigners unlimited access to U.S. territory (i.e., to live and work in the United States indefinitely). A common route to a green card is via commercial investment (as opposed to speculative investment) in the U.S.
The fifth employment-based immigrant category is designed for foreign investors who invest 1 million dollars—or $800,000 if the investment is in a “targeted unemployment area”—in a new commercial enterprise in the U.S., which will generate full-time employment for at least 10 qualifying employees.
Regional Centers. Alternative to a direct investment, this immigrant category allows for investment in a Regional Center, which are macro investment projects pre-approved by USCIS. The Regional Center strategy is available to small investor groups.