Attended EB5 seminar in India? Well, this webcast lays stress on the paradigm shift of Indian investors from H-1B to EB-5 Visa Program.

In 2018, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated their immigration policies, influencing the H1-B visa program considerably. With H-1B policy change becoming stricter, H-1B visa becomes increasingly unattainable and applications for EB-5 visas are spiking and are continuing to attract more people from India. Well, let us walk you through the various requirements and differences between EB-5 and H-1B visa.

What is EB-5 Visa Program?

EB-5 seminar in India is conducted to make people aware of this United States visa program that fosters employment in the United States by allowing foreign investors to apply for a Green Card and invest in any kind of U.S. business. The investor can invest in one of the following ways:

•    Invest $1,000,000 directly and create 10 new direct jobs anywhere in the U.S.
•    Make an investment of $500,000 and create 10 new direct jobs in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA). TEA is an area comes with an unemployment rate of at least 150% of the national average.
•    Or invest $500,000 and create 10 new direct jobs in a TEA with the help of a USCIS regional center.

What are EB-5 Regional Center Investment Requirements?

A regional center, such as U.S. Immigration Fund (USIF), is designated by the USCIS to sponsor EB-5 visas for EB-5 investors. But conditions are the following:
•    Make a minimum investment of $500,000 USD in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA).
•    Comprehensive evidence showcasing the authenticity of the investment funds
•    A background check to ensure that the investor does not have a criminal record or has not broken any of the US laws.

Investing with the help of an EB-5 investor regional center comes with various advantages over a direct EB-5 investment.

What are the Benefits of EB-5 Visa?

•    No education, specialized skills or any employment history required.
•    Free to work anywhere, or for anyone in the United States.
•    Spouse and children under 21 years of age can get green cards without applying separately.
•    Full freedom to live, work and join a school anywhere in the United States, irrespective of the investment location.
•    It is considered as one of the quickest ways to US permanent residency.
H-1 B Visa Program

The H-1B visa program has been quite a popular choice for professionals especially from India and IT or tech companies in US rely heavily on the program to hire thousands of employees every year.

What are the H-1 B Visa requirements?

•    No education, specialized skills or employment history required.
•    Freedom to work anywhere, or for anyone in the United States.
•    Spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 can get receive green cards without applying separately.
•    Flexibility to live, work and go to school anywhere in the United States, irrespective of the investment location.
•    One of the quickest ways to the US permanent residency.

What are the H-1B Conditions and Restrictions?

•    USCIS doesn’t recognize any 3-tyear bachelor degree programs.
•    Here, family members need individual visas at an additional cost, and spouses are hardly employed on an H-4.
•    Employer is not guaranteed to sponsor employee for a Green Card after a period of 6 years.
•    US Employer decided where exactly should the investor live and work.

Fortunately, the current H-1B visa holders can apply for an EB-5 visa while working in the United States with the help of an ‘Adjustment of Status’. Simply put, it is the procedure that allows eligible applicants to apply for an EB-5 without going back to their country of origin. So what’s your view point? Attending an EB-5 seminar in India can make things very clear and transparent when it comes to the EB-5 Visa Program.