Timeline of EB-5 Regional Center project raise

How long would it take to raise money through the EB-5 Regional Center program?

There are four main phases of an EB-5 regional center (RC) project’s capital raise. Exact timing will vary, based on experience, professional assistance, and the capital which can be put towards project expenses from the get-go. The four phases include: 

• Assembling RC offering documents and developing business plans

1. 1. 1. This step requires a meticulous group effort by the regional center team to put together an immaculate proposal for USCIS about the project offering, securities specs, and all information about the regional center. This step includes applications not only to USCIS, but contracts for investors, contracts with RC affiliates and investment brokers, and more.

• Gaining USCIS approval on your RC package.

1. 1. 1. Once the regional center petition is approved (assuming an existing regional center is not being rented or leased), the finalized project paperwork must be submitted to USCIS. Once that is filed, the project may begin marketing the securities offering(s) and soliciting funds from investors.

• Marketing your EB-5 project to prospective investors

1. 1. 1. Marketing your project around the world depends on an extremely organized and communicative team of immigration agents, brokers, and RC sales teams. With proven methodologies and expert professionals on your side, this process can take merely months or be completed through multi-phase capital tranching over a period of years, depending on the offering documents. 

• Maintaining policy compliance throughout the investment period

1. 1. Approval of investor immigration petitions requires virtually nothing from a regional center besides regularly updated paperwork on job creation, progress on project construction, redevelopment, or renovation, and expenditures incurred by the Job Creating Entity (the project itself). Currently, this process is riddled with internal issues within USCIS, and can take anywhere from five years to over a decade for investors in a EB-5 project to see their permanent green card. For almost all projects, the process will be far quicker for regional centers to gain approval and begin raising capital than it will be for immigrant petitioners seeking their green card. 

Developers and business owners can expect to create a project and start raising capital within two to three years, depending on capital raise goals and team organization. Although RCs may see more value in a quick approval process, it is important that timeliness is balanced with attention to detail to ensure future problems are mitigated for both the RC and investors.