Developments in EB-5 Required Investment & Regional Center Program
This is a unique time for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program as two major developments have taken place in June 2021. The minimum required investment to apply for the program has changed. Also, the Regional Center program has expired. The most likely scenario is that these are temporary adjustments, however, and will not be in place for the long term.
Farah Abbas interviewed for EB5investors.com
Farah Abbas, the Principal Attorney of Abbas Law PLLC, was recently interviewed by EB5investors.com about her experience and recent trends in the EB-5 industry. Please see the profile at www.eb5investors.com.
DOS Announces Priority Tiers for Immigrant Visa Applications
The U.S. Department of State has announced a system to prioritize certain Immigrant Visa applications at U.S. Embassies and Consulates worldwide, in an effort to reduce the backlog of cases due to COVID-19 operational issues. Even with this system, however, the processing of cases at each U.S. Embassy or Consulate will still largely depend on local and country conditions and other government-imposed restrictions.
New Executive Order Suspends Certain Classes of Immigrants
President Trump has signed a new executive order titled “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Immigrants Who Present Risk to the U.S. Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the COVID-19 Outbreak.” The most important thing to note is that this order has not made any major changes to the immigration system as it stands today.
Abbas Law During COVID-19
We would like to confirm that Abbas Law PLLC continues to operate during the COVID-19 crisis. We are no longer working from our office, but we are taking phone calls and e-mails as normal; and we continue to process cases with no interruption in service.
New Immigrant Health Care Rule Temporarily Blocked
A U.S. District Court judge in Portland, Oregon, has issued a 28-day temporary restraining order blocking the Trump Administration’s new rule on immigrant health care from going into effect on November 3, 2019. The judge cited the damage to would-be immigrants and their families in justifying the restraining order.
Long-Awaited EB-5 Rule Change Published Today
Today, the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (USCIS) has published the Final Rule containing new regulations for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. This is the first significant amendment to the program since it was first codified in 1993. The Final Rule will go into effect on November 21, 2019.
Social Media Inquiry Added to Online Visa Applications
Starting May 30, 2019, the U.S. Department of State updated the online Form DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Application and DS-260 Immigrant Visa Application to include an inquiry into social media use. The new question asks applicants to indicate each social media platform they have used during the last five years and to provide their username for each one.
Abbas Law PLLC Achieves EB-5 Visas and Green Card Issuance this Month
We are happy to share that Abbas Law PLLC recently achieved issuance of multiple EB-5 Immigrant Visas and a Conditional Green Card on behalf of its EB-5 clients!
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EB-5 Program Extended until September 30, 2019
Once again, the EB-5 Program has survived for a few more months, until September 30, 2019. At the moment, the program will continue without any changes, so the investment minimums of $1,000,000 (non-Targeted Employment Area) and $500,000 (Targeted Employment Areas) still stand. However, there is a very high likelihood that these amounts will be increased, and that other changes may be implemented, in the near future.
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