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The white paper below was updated on July 24, 2017. It first appeared in the Investment Law Blog on February 21, 2017.

Now that the USCIS has released amendments to its Policy Manual regarding the required “sustainment period” for EB-5 investors to retain their investments “at risk”, the authors of this updated White Paper have revised our original standards and guidelines for redeployment of EB-5 investment capital issued in February 2017 to reflect the new policies adopted by the USCIS on redeployment.  We believe that the guidelines provided in this updated White Paper should meet the “sustainment” requirements established by USCIS in its amended Policy Manual, and should also meet the requirements of federal securities laws and the fiduciary duties of the general partner or manager of each new commercial enterprise when making a decision to redeploy their investment capital in a new investment.

— Catherine DeBono Holmes

STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES FOR
REDEPLOYMENT OF EB-5 INVESTMENT FUNDS

A White Paper prepared by:

Klasko Immigration Law Partners, LLP
Arnstein & Lehr LLP
Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP

This White Paper sets forth a legal framework for establishing the standards and guidelines for redeployment of investment funds by a “new commercial enterprise” (“NCE”) received from investors (“EB-5 Investors”) seeking to qualify for visas pursuant to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program under Section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (“INA”), (8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(5)) (the “EB-5 Program”). This White Paper assumes that the initial investment was made by the NCE in a “job creating entity” (“JCE”), the investment funds have been utilized by the JCE in accordance with a business plan approved by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) and then repaid by the JCE to the NCE after the requisite 10 jobs per EB-5 Investor have been created.  Here we conclude that a redeployment by the NCE that meets the guidelines described in this White Paper would reflect industry best practices for compliance with USCIS policy, securities laws and fiduciary duties of the general partner or manager of the NCE.

Reasons Why Redeployment of EB-5 Investment Funds Has Become Necessary

The EB-5 industry has dramatically changed over the past few years, due to the substantial increase in EB-5 Investors applying for EB-5 immigrant visas, particularly from the Peoples Republic of China.  The EB-5 Program limits the number of visas that are issued each fiscal year to alien investors and their spouse and qualifying children to a maximum of approximately 10,000.  In the event that the number of applicants exceeds the maximum available visas, the Visa Control and Reporting Division (“Visa Control Division”) of the U.S. Department of State will limit the number of applicants from each country to an aggregate maximum of 7% of the total number of EB-5 immigrant visas available each fiscal year (the “Visa Cap”). Until fiscal year 2015, the annual worldwide quota was not reached.  Continue reading →