I am a regional center principal and want to find EB-5 investors. How can I pay licensed agents in China for finding EB-5 investors for my projects? What should I keep in mind?
You may transfer a finder fee to agents abroad as long as the agent is not a U.S citizen or legal permanent resident. U.S citizens or legal permanent resident agents must hold the proper license and comply with all SEC regulations in order to receiving a finder fee.
There are many legal ways to find individuals and groups who may legally source investors for your EB-5 projects. The first step is to retain the services of an experienced EB-5 attorney who may have access to these sources.
You should speak with your securities attorney; this is permitted with full compliance under the exception of ''foreign finder.''
Generally, regional center projects use a portion of investor''s administration fees to pay finders. You may pay finder fees to agents in China (or any other country abroad) provided they are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. If you wish to pay a fee to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, then they must hold the proper securities license and be associated with a broker/dealer to accept fees.
You need to keep the SEC regulations regarding the advertising and solicitation of potential investors in mind. We can assist regional centers with the compliance with U.S. immigration law, and refer securities attorneys familiar with the EB-5 program.
