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Is a Regional Center a global location or domestic U.S. location?

I want to invest with EB-5 regional center so that investment is reduced amount but I do not understand what a regional center is. Is a regional center a global location or a domestic U.S. location? Is it a company or does each regional center correspond to a specific project center or institution?

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    Reza Rahbaran

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Regional centers are only located in the United States. Regional centers have been approved by the U.S. government and designated to targeted employment areas to create regional jobs and benefit the regional economy. Regional centers are not exclusive to one industry. There may be several projects of several industries under one regional center.

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    Taher Kameli

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    A Regional Center is an entity which has been designated by the U.S. government to help the economic growth of a certain region.

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    Julia Roussinova

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    You can find a list of approved Regional Centers on the USCIS official website. RCs operate within a designated targeted employment area or areas and are within the U.S. Projects within RCs must benefit the U.S. economy and create the minimum required U.S. jobs per investor. Please do not hesitate to contact our office should you need further assistance.

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    Roberto Ortiz

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    A Regional Center is an area that has been designated by USCIS to have projects of several industries. Foreign investors are allowed to invest in any of the projects pursuant to the EB-5 program. Regional Centers are only located in U.S. locations.

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    Lei Jiang

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    A regional center is a U.S. business investing funds in projects in the U.S. In doing so, hopefully it will generate U.S. jobs.

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    Philip H Teplen

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    It is a federally approved entity to qualify as a recipient of EB-5 projects. Please call me so that I can best explain.

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    Shahzad Q Qadri

    RC Creator
    Answered on

    A Regional Center is a business enterprise with a designated geographical area within the United States. It is generally an LLC that can encompass several projects and industries.

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    Rachel Lew

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    A regional center is defined as any economic unit, public or private, engaged in the promotion of economic growth, including increased export sales (if applicable), improved regional productivity, job creation and increased U.S. domestic capital investment. Each regional center focuses specifically on a defined geographic area of the Untied States. Usually, regional centers are located in targeted employment areas or rural areas in order to qualify to offer qualification with a $500,000 investment, but there are regional centers in locations where a $1,000,000 investment is required in order to qualify. To apply for immigration benefits under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Pilot Program and become affiliated with a regional center, you must invest in a regional center that is pre-approved for designation as a regional center by USCIS. Also, the regional center must maintain compliance with the regulations and guidelines of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Pilot Program. If not, USCIS cab terminate the status of that regional center, and then those investors who have not yet removed the condition from permanent residence could potentially cease to qualify for conditional permanent residence. So, a regional center is not a global location and it does not correspond to a specific center or institution, other than reporting to USCIS annually for updates of its project(s) and number of investors who have participated in its project(s).

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    Margo Chernysheva

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    The Immigrant Investor Pilot Program (Pilot Program) was created by Section 610 of Public Law 102-395 (Oct. 6, 1992), and has been extended through Sept. 30, 2012. EB-5 requirements for an investor under the Pilot Program are essentially the same as in the standard EB-5 investor program, except the Pilot Program provides for investments that are affiliated with an economic unit known as a "Regional Center". Investments made through regional centers can take advantage of a more expansive concept of job creation including both indirect and direct jobs. A Regional Center is defined as any economic entity, public or private, which is involved with the promotion of economic growth, improved regional productivity, job creation and increased domestic capital investment.

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    Ed Beshara

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    An EB-5 Regional Center is an entity in the U.S. It is an entity which has received designation from the USCIS so that it may form legal and financial infrastructures to receive foreign national investors to finance US EB-5 projects.

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    Fredrick W Voigtmann

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Regional Centers are U.S. entities. The terms and conditions of the USCIS designation (approval) of the regional center can be found in the regional center designation letter. The reduced investment amount has nothing to do with regional centers. The lower investment amount of $500,000 is allowed if the new commercial enterprise will be located in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA). Most regional centers happen to be set up in TEAs, but you do not need a regional center designation to invest in a business located in a TEA. Some regional centers have one project, some have many projects and some have no projects.

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    BoBi Ahn

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    A Regional Center is an entity under which multiple projects/businesses can be developed that qualifies for the EB-5. A Regional Center designation is achieved through an application process with the USCIS. A Regional Center designation specifies and limits the type of business/projects it will be developing and also the geographic region where the project development will take place.

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    Mahsa Aliaskari

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    A Regional Center is an entity designated by USCIS to administer projects that are raising funds through the EB-5 program. You would be investing in a project under a Regional Center, not in the Regional Center itself. To select a project it is important to work with experienced EB-5 immigration counsel as well as business consultants to conduct a review and due diligence prior to making the investment. Also, please note, that the lower investment amount of $500,000 is based on whether or not the project and investment is in a Targeted Employment Area, regardless of whether or not it is a Regional Center based EB-5 investment or a direct investment.

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    Rana Jazayerli

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    A regional Center is a geographic area within the United States that has been designated by USCIS as eligible to offer investments that qualify a foreign national (and immediate family) for U.S. permanent residency. These investments must be into commercial projects that fall within the industries that USCIS has approved for that particular regional center. A regional center may have multiple projects or just one project at any given time. The advantage to an investor in going through a regional center for their EB-5 investment is that the investor is then able to count not only the direct jobs created by the project, but the indirect jobs as well, greatly increasing the likelihood of fulfilling the investor''s job creation requirements.

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    Kenneth Byrd

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    It is a USA concern only, and is meant to be a focal point for job creation. If you have any other questions, please call.

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    Boyd Campbell

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Regional centers are in domestic locations.

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    Stephen Berman

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    It''s a domestic U.S. company at a specific location.

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    Jinhee Wilde

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Your investment does not get reduced for investing in a regional center. EB-5 regulations specifically require that an EB-5 investment be $1 million unless the business/project is located in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) or rural area of under 20,000 population. This is true if you invest in any business or a regional center project. Regional Center is a U.S. business that is designated by the USCIS as a business that is eligible to receive EB-5 investment. However, they must also be located in a rural area or TEA to qualify for the reduced $500,000 investment threshold.

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    Jeffrey E Campion

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Let me try to explain the EB-5 specifics. The reduced amount ($500,000) is not dependent on an RC. It is dependent on being in a Targeted Employment Area. Any project in a TEA will qualify for the reduced amount. As it relates to the location of an RC, it can be in any geographic area contained in the U.S. and is approved by USCIS. An RC can have multiple projects or just one depending on the RC.