FAQ

What is an EB-5 Regional Center?

An EB-5 Regional Center is an organization, designated and regulated by USCIS, which facilitates investment in job-creating economic development projects by pooling capital raised under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Regional Centers can be publicly-owned, (e.g. by a city, state, or regional economic development agency), privately-owned, or can be created through public-private partnership.

  • Regional Centers maximize the program's job creation benefits by facilitating the investment of significant amounts of capital in large-scale projects often in coordination with regional economic development agencies which use the EB-5 funds to leverage additional capital.
  • Regional Centers use economic analysis models, including those developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce, to demonstrate that job creation targets required by law have been achieved. For investments made through Regional Centers, at least 10 direct, indirect or induced jobs must be created.
  • All investment offerings made by EB-5 Regional Centers are subject to U.S. securities laws, enforced by state securities regulators and the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.

What do Regional Centers do?

  • Identify investment opportunities that will create jobs in local communities, often in partnership with economic development agencies.
  • Assist in marketing those investment opportunities to investors from around the world.
  • Ensure that the investment offering complies with federal and state securities laws and SEC regulations as well as specific EB-5 requirements.

Why is the EB-5 Program important?

Each year, the EB-5 Program ("the Program") accounts for billions of dollars of U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) which is channeled into projects throughout the country that promote regional economic development. EB-5 is a job-creating and economic development program that has garnered support by mayors and local economic development officials across the U.S. who have seen the value of the program first-hand.

How are EB-5 investments affiliated with Regional Centers structured?

EB-5 investments that are affiliated with EB-5 Regional Centers are made through private placements - the sale of securities to a relatively small number of select investors. Like all private placements, which are used by companies to raise capital in a number of contexts, EB-5 private placements are governed by federal and state securities laws and regulations. A private placement memorandum is developed that details the investment offering, including detailed explanations of the project that will be funded and disclosures of risk and material information consistent with all applicable federal and state laws

The economics of the project related to EB-5 specifically - the expected job creation - are also detailed in the memorandum. In some cases, the issuer of the private placement memorandum is an EB-5 Regional Center itself. In other situations, the issuer is business entity that will be receiving the investment funds and is affiliated with a Regional Center.

What risks do investors face in EB-5 Regional Center investments?

By law, EB-5 investments must be "at risk" in the same way that any equity, stock or other type of investment carries inherent risk. Regional centers, like other entities that market investment opportunities, cannot guarantee a return on investment. Regional Centers also cannot guarantee return of the investment principal to the investor.

How do EB-5 Regional Centers help communities?

EB-5 Regional Centers facilitate direct investment in projects that meet the job creation and economic development goals of designated geographic areas. Regional Centers pool investments made by multiple EB-5 investors and deploy that capital to large-scale projects, often in coordination with regional economic development agencies.

Source: IIUSA

The information provided herein is not an offer to purchase or sell securities. The offering is made only pursuant to a private placement memorandum (PPM), which should be read in its entirety prior to any investment. As described in the PPM, the securities may only be purchased pursuant to an exemption under applicable securities laws, either Regulation S which requires that investors not be U.S. Persons and subscribe from outside the United States, or Regulation D which requires that investors be accredited investors that meet minimum net worth or income thresholds. The securities are being offered in reliance on an exemption from and without compliance with disclosure or content standards of the registration requirements of the Securities Act; cannot be re-sold except under extremely limited circumstances; and involve risk of loss of investment and immigration benefits. Neither the SEC nor any other governmental entity has passed upon the merits of or given its approval to the securities, the terms of the offering, or the accuracy or completeness of any offering materials.