EB5 RURAL TEA- PROJECT
\
Achieve U.S Permanent Residency and All Of Its Benefits
Navigate the Immigrant Investor Program by Enrolling via "The Pines Of Grass Valley" Project.
Rural EB-5 petitioners are eligible for priority processing,
THE PINES OF GRASS VALLEY
A TRUE MODERN LIFESTYLE APARTMENT HOMES IN GRASS VALLEY, CA
Grass Valley: Where History and Adventure Unite
Nestled in the Sierra foothills, Grass Valley seamlessly weaves together the legacy of the Gold Rush era with the allure of a modern wine country town. Located just off Highway 49 in Nevada County, approximately 60 miles northeast of Sacramento, this charming community invites you to delve into California’s past while immersing yourself in the surrounding pine forests and rolling hills.
Grass Valley promises adventure at every turn as the gateway to the Sierra Nevadas. Explore over 108 acres of picturesque parks, wander scenic trails, and revel in water activities along the South Yuba River. And for winter enthusiasts, the popular Lake Tahoe Ski Resorts are just a 60-minute drive away.
Discover the magic of Grass Valley—a place where history meets the great outdoors!
Empowering EB-5 Investors: The Pines of Grass Valley and DEW EB5
As a General Partner and Fiduciary
The Pines of Grass Valley proudly collaborates with DEW EB5 to offer Rural EB-5 projects and a general partner, granting investors a pathway to U.S. Permanent Residency in 6 to 9 months avg. time.
Why DEW EB5 Stands Out:
DEW EB5 stands at the threshold of becoming a global financial services firm, uniquely positioned to assist candidates seeking permanent residency in the United States. Our fiduciary role at DEW EB5 involves meticulous due diligence across market cycles, enabling us to navigate optimal deal structures and provide global mobility for our esteemed clientele and their capital.
Over the past two decades, the DEW name has guided over 1,000 professionals on their journey within the United States. Collaborating with industry-leading networks and attorneys, DEW EB5 ensures that your case receives the utmost care and attention, particularly from a Source of Funds & eligibility perspective.
WHAT IS EB-5?
The EB-5 program, established in 1990, aims to attract foreign investment for economic growth in the United States. Foreign nationals can obtain a Green Card by making a qualifying investment in a new or existing US commercial enterprise that generates 10 jobs. EB-5 investors and their families gain permanent residency, allowing them to live and work anywhere in the United States. A single EB-5 investment covers the main applicant, spouse, and unmarried children under 21.
WHAT IS PRIORITY PROCESSING?
EB-5 Investors are now enjoying 1-12 month I-526E processing times in Rural TEA Designated Projects! Currently, approved rural investors have realized an average 6-month I-526E processing time.
On 15th March 2022, the Biden administration passed the EB-5 Reform & Integrity Act (RIA) of 2022. The law requested USCIS, the government agency that oversees lawful immigration, to reduce the processing time for I-526E Petitions under what is termed “Priority Processing” for Rural TEA Designated Projects. Rural areas are defined as towns with less than 20,000 people located in a county that does not have a metropolitan statistical area. Non-rural EB-5 investments will continue to be processed under normal processing, there have not been any I-526E Approvals post-RIA so it is unknown how long non-rural petitions will take to be processed.
Rural TEAs
A Rural TEA (Targeted Employment Area) in EB-5 is an area designated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that is outside of a metropolitan statistical area and beyond the outer boundary of a city or town with a population of 20,000 or more. The purpose of creating Rural TEAs is to encourage EB-5 investment in rural areas that have a high need for economic development and job creation. An EB-5 investment made in a Rural TEA qualifies for a lower investment threshold of $800,000, rather than the standard $1,050,000 investment required for non-TEA areas.
Rural EB-5 petitioners are eligible for priority processing, although the exact timeline for processing is not yet defined by USCIS. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 established an annual set-aside of 20% of all EB-5 visas for investments made in rural TEAs. This set-aside offers post-RIA investors a potentially immediately available visa upon I-526E approval, even if they are from a backlogged country. Additionally, rural EB-5 petitions may receive priority processing, which is expected to be around one year.
EB-5 VISA PROGRAM COST & REQUIREMENTS
The US government requires EB-5 investments to comply with strict guidelines to promote job creation. The minimum qualifying investment threshold varies depending on the location of the business or project. If an EB-5 project is in a Targeted Employment Area (“TEA”) the qualifying investment amount is $800,000. Outside of a TEA, investors must contribute $1,050,000 to obtain a Green Card.
The investment is required to be an “At-Risk” Investment in a US commercial enterprise. There can be no guarantee on the return of investment to the investor as it would disqualify them from obtaining a permanent Green Card. This does not mean that the EB-5 investment must be unnecessarily risky. Risk can be mitigated in a multitude of ways by the deal structuring of the EB-5 Investment Offering.
One EB-5 investment allows the main applicant, their spouse, and any unwed children under 21 to obtain permanent Green Cards. The investor does not receive any immediate immigration benefits after applying and they may have to wait more than a year before the I-526E application is approved. Only after I-526E approval will they be allowed to immigrate to the United States. Applying for EB-5 does not affect other ongoing forms of US legal status e.g., H1-B, F-1, B-1, etc. The first EB-5 immigration benefit comes in one of two ways:
-
A Conditional Green Card is received approximately one to three years from the moment of application (application means filing an I-526E petition).
-
An Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and Advanced Parole Travel Permit can be obtained within months of application if the investor has a current US student/work visa and concurrently files an I-485 change of status along with their I-526E petition.
This timeline varies and may be shorter or longer, and will depend on factors such as your country of birth and current visa status in the United States. You may also benefit from faster processing depending on which DEW EB5 project you invest in. The recently passed EB-5 legislation states that USCIS needs to process petitions within 60-240 days, and if this is accomplished then the time to obtaining a Green Card should remain closer to one year.
Targeted Employment Areas (TEAs)
A Special EB-5 Investment Area with Lower Investment Requirements. High-unemployment and Rural TEAs qualify for $800,000 instead of $1,050,000.
An EB-5 TEA (Targeted Employment Area) is a designation created by the US Congress to encourage investment in areas of need, such as areas with high unemployment rates or rural areas. Under the EB-5 visa program, investors who make a minimum investment of $800,000 in a TEA, rather than the standard $1,050,000 investment are eligible for permanent residency in the United States.
The EB-5 program is intended to stimulate economic growth and job creation in the United States by attracting foreign investment.
EB-5 Visa Set-Asides for TEAs
An investment made in a TEA does qualify for visa set-asides. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 established an annual set-aside of 10% of all EB-5 visas for investments made in high-unemployment TEAs and an annual set-aside of 20% of all EB-5 visas for investments made in rural TEAs. These set-asides offer post-RIA investors a potentially immediately available visa upon I-526E approval, even if they are from a backlogged country.
Additionally, infrastructure projects also have a visa set-aside of 2% of the total EB-5 visas, and they are treated similarly to TEA projects in terms of the required investment amount.
High Unemployment TEAs
To qualify as a high-unemployment TEA, an area must have at least 150% of the national U.S. average unemployment rate.
High-unemployment TEAs can now only include the census tract of the investment project and directly adjacent census tracts. This new definition, created by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA), is stricter than the one allowed by the previous regulations.
Contrary to the prior regulations, when individual states held such authority, now only the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can make TEA designations. High-unemployment designation is valid for two years and can be renewed in two-year increments.
The RIA has established an annual set-aside of 10% of all EB-5 visas for investments made in high-unemployment TEAs. These set-asides offer post-RIA investors a potentially immediately available visa upon I-526E or I-526 approval, even if they are from a backlogged country.
US EB-5 GREEN CARD PROCESS & TIMELINE
Stage 1: Do your Research
Step 1: Understand what EB-5 is and its Timeline
Start by doing your research into the EB-5 process. This immigration by investment program is not the same as other ‘golden visa’ programs offered by other countries as it requires a strict initial source of funds review and eventually proof of job creation. The investment process takes approximately 3 to 7 years, each EB-5 project will have a separate loan term and payback structure.
Step 2: Does EB-5 work for me?
EB-5 requires you to make a minimum investment of $800,000. If you are on an existing non-immigrant visa in the US right now, you need to decide if the benefits of obtaining a Green Card are greater than renewing your non-immigrant visa every three years. There is also an additional benefit to those foreign nationals who have an existing nonimmigrant visa like a F-1, H-1B or L1A visa, and are in the US at the time of filing of EB-5 petition, as they are entitled to concurrent filing for adjustment of status and hence more expedient receipt of EAD Work Authorization (average 3-4 months).
Step 3: My Source of Funds?
One of the most important aspects of the program is to demonstrate where the money you’re investing is coming from. Whether it’s your earnings, assets, or even gifts/loans from friends and family, you will need to prove and show documentation for all sources of money in the investment and fees. The entire investment amount and all fees must be accounted for and wired into the project before your immigration petition is filed. If you don’t have all the funds required to invest today, we still encourage you to conduct your research and arrange a consultation with DEW EB5. We understand that the EB-5 investment is a long-term life decision for individuals and families, we are happy to answer any questions as you plan for you and your family’s future.
Step 4: Make your decision
After taking all facts into consideration, base your decision on whether or not the EB-5 program is right for you. DEW EB5 is happy to refer you to an experienced immigration attorney best fit to handle your petition.
Stage 2: Begin your EB-5 Process (First 1 to 3 months)
Step 5: Engage an Immigration Attorney and start your Source of Funds process
The first step in your EB-5 process will to be to have an attorney assess your source of funds. Once engaged, your attorney will begin by obtaining your basic info, travel history, and the required documentation for your source of funds. If your funds are not all liquid the attorney will guide you in mobilizing your funds. The attorney also will outline what documentation you will need to provide for each source, which can include a gift, loan against property, sale of assets, income, and more. You will need to provide multiple documents at this stage and the entire process can take a few weeks to a few months depending on how quickly you can provide the required documentation.
Step 6: Identify a project that meets your objectives
Complete your due diligence on the project that best meets your immigration and investment goals. We recommend setting up a Zoom call with one of our professionals at DEW EB5 to review the project options we have available. Your immigration attorney cannot recommend projects to you, but you can ask them to do their due diligence on the immigration aspect of the project of your choice.
Step 7: Sign documents and send Funds to Escrow
After your immigration attorney has collected all the required documentation and completed your source of funds they will give you the go ahead to send your investment capital to the project escrow account. Once you sign the signature packet and wire the funds, we will countersign the documents and issue a wire transfer receipt reflecting the full amount and admin fees were wired to us. This is the final documentation your attorney needs to file before your I-526E Petition.
Step 8: Submit your I-526E petition
Once your attorney has collected all the required documentation for your source of funds, the wire transfer receipts, and the counter signed documents from DEW EB5 they will be able to submit your I-526E petition to the USCIS. The I-526E Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur consists of: 1) Proof of how the investor earned all the funds utilized in the EB-5 investment and 2) How the funds will be spent to create the 10 jobs required to give the investor and their family members the immigration benefits, which will be provided by DEW EB5. Approximately 10-days after submitting you will receive an I-797C receipt notice from the USCIS stating that they received your petition (this timeline can vary). The receipt notice will include the date they received your petition and that will be your official “Priority Date”.
At this point of time, if you are in the United States on a Non-Immigrant visa your attorney may also advise you to file for Adjustment of Status, which will allow you to receive an EAD Work Authorization and Advanced Parole Travel Permit prior to the approval of your petition.
Rural Priority I-526E Processing: Projects with Rural TEA designation receive Priority I-526E processing. To date investors are realizing an average 6-month processing time in Rural Projects.
Non-Rural I-526E Processing: We have not seen I-526E Approvals for Non-Rural Projects post-RIA, processing times are unknown.
Stage 3: Wait for I-526E approval (Rural Projects are receiving 1-12 month approvals, averaging ~6 months. Urban project I-526E approval timeline is unknown) / Wait for EAD and Travel permit (Averaging 3-4 months for EAD – 7-8 months for Travel Permit)
Step 9: Wait for USCIS to approve your I-526E petition
This process varies in time and cannot be controlled. This wait time can be dependent on the project you subscribe to, and the order of approval is not always completed in the exact order of when each person filed their I-526E petition. If you are outside the US you are not given any legal immigration status during this time. During this time DEW EB5 will send you access to your respective project portal where you will be able to monitor the progress of your investment, receive important tax documents, and enter the bank information for receiving your interest payments.
Step 10: Wait for Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and Advanced Parole (AP) Travel permit (For applicants in the US on a nonimmigrant work or student visa only)
This step only applies to EB-5 petitioners who are in the United States on a nonimmigrant visa such as an F-1 or H-1B visa. While your I-526E petition is pending you may apply for Adjustment of Status (depending on visa availability for your country) and wait for your EAD and AP cards to arrive. Please make sure to consult with your immigration attorney to understand the benefits it provides and what you should do while your I-526E petition remains pending.
Stage 4: I-526E approved, Priority date current, Apply for conditional Green Card (6 to 12 months)
Step 11: Consular Processing / Change of Status
If you are outside the US you will go through a visa interview process with the Visa Consular (includes document review, medical examination, and personal interview). This will take approximately 6 months to set up depending on your local consulate. After the interview you will receive an immigrant visa that will be stamped into your passport, you are then able to move to the United States. After you arrive in the US your Green Card will then be issued to you. If you reside in the US and file for Adjustment of Status, you will not need to complete an interview and you will receive your Green Card in the mail approximately 6-12 months after I-526E approval.
Stage 5: Start Conditional Residency (1 year 9 months)
Step 12: Begin 2-year Conditional Residency
Once you receive your Green Card in the mail it is effectively the same as any normal permanent resident card. The conditions that must be met at the end of the two years to make the Green Card permanent are: 10 jobs must be created using your investment and your money must be “at-risk” for 2 years. On October 11th, 2023, the USCIS redefined this 2-year at-risk condition to be 2 years from the date an investor has fully funded the NCE and filed their petition. At DEW EB5 we always structure our investments with a large job creation buffer so more than enough jobs are created for our investors. Receiving the return of your investment depends on the project you have selected and its repayment terms.
Stage 6: Apply for Permanent Residency (3 months before expiration of Conditional Green Card)
Step 13: File I-829 for removal of your conditions
During the last 90 days of your 2-year Conditional Residency your attorney will file your I-829 petition. You will remain in the US as a Green Card holder while your I-829 is being processed.
Step 14: Receive Unconditional Green Card once the I-829 is approved.
At this point your EB-5 journey is complete. Once you have resided permanently in the US for 4 years 9 months (starting from the time you obtained your conditional residence status), you are eligible to file for US citizenship. Speak with your immigration counsel on the next steps if you so desire.
WHAT ARE EB-5 REGIONAL CENTERS?
Congress created the Immigrant Investor Program or “Regional Center Program” in 1993. The Regional Center Program sets aside EB-5 visas for investors who invest in a commercial enterprise structured by approved “Regional Centers” designated by USCIS to help promote economic growth. The creation of the Regional Center Program allowed investors to pool EB-5 money and utilize job creation models. Regional Centers allowed institutions to provide deal access to EB-5 investors, and EB-5 investors were able to make passive investments with developers that have strong track records. Regional Centers / Investment Issuers are responsible for issuing the investment and ensuring that it meets the USCIS requirements.