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Questions and Answers > EB-5 Investments

How do I find out what areas are TEA designated?

I am interested in finding a location to open a business for a direct EB-5 investment and I would like to do it in a TEA so my investment can be lower. How do I find out where the TEA''s are in a given state? Is it public record or is that something I need to calculate myself?

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Answers

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    Reza Rahbaran

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    TEAs are issued by the authorized designating body of each state or jurisdiction. Using unemployment evidence and statistical documentation for areas within the state, they may or may not issue a TEA designation. The new commercial enterprise must be located in an area with an average unemployment rate of 150 percent of the national average. Although you may wish to identify a TEA on your own, it is always best to use either an economist or attorney who has experience with EB-5 TEA designations.

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    Shahzad Q Qadri

    RC Creator
    Answered on

    TEA designations are tricky, as the State has the power to render that designation. Each state has a different office that is dealing with the issue, depending on the state they may have a database that tells you the TEA areas or a department that will help you come up with the designation. So the answer will vary depending on the state you are in.

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    Lynne Feldman

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Each state designates these.

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    Ying Lu

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Each state has designated different state agencies to certify TEA. For example, in California, even if your area is not on the list of the pre-calculated TEA areas, your area may still qualify as a special TEA by using proper methods and get certified by the State. Our firm has helped many direct EB-5 business owners on the TEA issue.

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    BoBi Ahn

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    You or your Immigration Attorney may request the information from the state department of labor where the business will be located.

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    Ed Beshara

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Each state has a department designated to list counties that are TEA''s. Alternatively, if a county is not designated a TEA, then with the assistance of an experienced EB-5 Attorney and Economist you may combine contiguous census tracts with state approved data to specify a geographical TEA.

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    Boyd Campbell

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Contact the state agency. In some cases mayors (Texas only) designated by the state''s governor can identify TEAs.

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    Diana Levy

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    A TEA is actually a geographic area designated by a state agency on a case by case basis. In order to determine if a given EB-5 projects falls within a TEA, you would need to provide the state agency in charge of such designations with the physical address of the business you have in mind. They will usually do everything in their power to pull together contiguous census tracts to create a TEA for your project.

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    Fredrick W Voigtmann

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Finding or obtaining TEA designations can be complicated. Usually, you can go to the state workforce agency''s website and see if they have any links related to EB-5 (California''s website is great and easy to use). Other states don''t have any information online and it will take a serious amount of research and legwork to contact the appropriate state official to obtain either the TEA information you need or to request a designation. Usually, my clients come to me with certain areas they wish to check, and I do the research for them. You may wish to consult with an experienced EB-5 attorney, such as myself, on this matter.

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    Rohit Kapuria

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Normally this should be done with the assistance of an EB-5 economist, however, if you have a project location, you can submit a request to the state agency responsible for such TEA designations and ask whether the specific census tract in question can be eligible for a TEA.

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    Kenneth Byrd

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    In general, it is rather easy to find what areas are TEA''s. Mostly, you can Google the term and find out if your area is a TEA.

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    Philip H Teplen

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    TEA locations are public record. However, before any investment is made, I strongly suggest you retain counsel to properly guide you.

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    Mahsa Aliaskari

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    If you are searching for a location that qualifies as a TEA based on unemployment rates, then you can check the Bureau of Labor Statistics or the state website for data on unemployment rates in specific cities. If the city is not a TEA, census tracts within the city may qualify, depending on the scope of your project, you may want to consider engaging immigration counsel and/or an EB-5 experienced economist to assist you with site selection to ensure TEA qualification.

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    Michael A Harris, Esq

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    It depends state-by-state. Some states make the data publicly available, others require you to request it from them. Even once you have the data, if your project is not located directly within a TEA by census tract then additional calculation would be needed. Calculating the data yourself may be challenging. If you would like further information on making a TEA determination, please contact me.

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    Jeffrey E Campion

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    I would recommend speaking with the city where you would like to open the business. If they are not helpful, then contact the state to see how in the state is designated to calculate the TEA areas. It varies by state.

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    Salvatore Picataggio

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    In some states, counties are designated at TEAs. The entity that makes this designation will depend on the state. In addition, census tracts can be designated as TEAs. We recommend the assistance of a qualified EB-5 attorney who can coordinate with Economists and State Agencies to obtain these designations, and ensure compliance with current rules, regulations, and policies.

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    Tammy Fox-Isicoff

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    There really is no comprehensive list- you have to look at the census tracts or unemployment averages.