Where are EB-5 regional centers located?

EB-5 regional centers must be located in the United States and they must have a physical address. When a regional center receives its designation, there is a geographic scope, in addition to the industry scope, for any EB-5 project contemplated by the regional center. Therefore, depending on how (and sometimes when) the regional center applied for and obtained its USCIS designation, the geographic scope of some regional centers might be limited to a single county or even a smaller collection of census tracts. Some regional centers encompass an entire state (e.g. Vermont, Hawaii). There are many regional centers that overlap geographically (e.g. Los Angeles County).

You need to search where the regional center is located. Generally, they are located in the rural and poor areas. A regional center will be allowed to operate only when it has the licenses from USCIS and the local government. It is possible for multiple regional centers to be based in the same area.

Currently, regional center designation is awarded by USCIS to an individual, a group of individuals or to a corporate entity. The location of the individual or the corporate office will not always be within the regional center. The regional center is a geographic area (a census tract, county, a state or part of the same.) More relevant is the location of the project. The EB-5 project must be located within the geographic area of the regional center.

Regional centers have physical headquarters from which they operate. Note also that some states house several regional centers, and that they operate projects in the areas for which they have been certified to operate.

An EB-5 regional center is a USCIS-approved economic unit (private, public or a mix). You can have more than one regional center in an area and they can overlap. Regional centers may have offices from where they operate, or may operate from a certain government or quasi-government entity. As to how they are approved, those interested in creating a regional center must go through an application process with USCIS to secure such a designation. The purpose is to promote economic growth within that region and it provides an indirect way for investors who do not have their own company, but wish to invest into the United States and take part in the EB-5 program.

Regional centers are in individual states and they have physical addresses. The area of operation is the area approved of by USCIS. There may be multiple centers in the same state.

Regional centers can be, and are, located all over the United States (and even some U.S. territories!). A ''regional center'' is a U.S. business that has obtained a license from USCIS to sponsor and oversee EB-5 projects. Part of obtaining that license is stating a geographic area to cover, but that area can be added to over time. Multiple regional centers can exist in one state or even one city, with their geographical areas overlapping. Finding a licensed regional center is not the end of the process for an investor, however, as immigration and investment due diligence should be performed on the regional center principals, its projects, etc.

There are hundreds of regional centers, most of which are dormant. The key is to find a good project. The regional center is important, but the project is key.

There are over 800 regional centers all over the United States, several in each state or in large cities. While many of the regional centers do have their headquarters, some regional centers do not. There are many regional centers that are very active with several projects and then there are others that have only the designation as the regional centers, but have no projects. This is the reason for you, as the investor, to do due diligence with your financial advisers in choosing the right one for you.

Thank you for your inquiry. The EB-5 regional center program is large and can be overwhelming to understand. As of May 2, 2016, the USCIS has approved 834 regional centers. Those regional centers are located throughout the United States. Some regional centers have physical headquarters while others may have a group that manages/administers the regional center.

Regional centers are approved for specific geographic areas (i.e. a neighborhood, county, city, state, etc.). The commercial projects that they sponsor must be principally conducting business within the regional center's approved geography. But a regional center by itself can have its corporate headquarters outside of the state where it is authorized. And multiple regional centers can be approved for the same geographic territory.