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What is the approximate cost and timeline of starting a regional center?

What is the approximate costs of starting a regional center? What is the timeline and what is the cost incurred? Can you please clarify?

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    BoBi Ahn

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    USCIS filing fee is $17,795 plus the cost of counsel. You would most likely need a corporate attorney for structuring, an immigration attorney and most likely SEC attorney, economic reports, etc. The processing time is approximately three years from filing.

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    Salvatore Picataggio

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Depending on how you make your supporting project, the professional fees for immigration counsels, securities counsels, economists and business plan writers. The total could be well over $100,000. USCIS filing fees alone for the I-924 are $17,795. I-924 applications are taking 38.5 months to 76.5 months according to USCIS (the last case processed was filed in August 2013.) Have you considered affiliating a project with an existing regional center?

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    Daniel B Lundy

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    The cost can vary substantially, depending on whether you are submitting it with a hypothetical or exemplar project. I would estimate $50,000 to $100,000. The timeline is subject to USCIS processing times. The average is about two years right now. However, it may be possible to purchase an existing regional center. You would still need to file an I-924 with USCIS ($17,795 filing fee,) and it would still take two years to get approved, but you can structure it in a way that you can continue to file investor petitions while it is pending.

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    Lynne Feldman

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    It depends on the size and scope of the regional center, economic analysis costs, the TEA letter, costs of counsel, the SEC letter, etc.

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    Ed Beshara

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    You should retain the services of am experienced EB-5 immigration attorney who will be able to advise you on the fees and costs in regard to preparing the required documents for a regional center application. Fees vary depending on the EB-5 team of professionals, and of course, if you hire the top professionals, your fees will be higher.

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    A Olusanjo Omoniyi

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    It depends on various factors in terms of the attorney and other professional fees, including but not limited to incorporation, writing of business plans for the regional center, just to name a few. The cost may be as much as over $100, 000. Advisably, consult an EB-5 attorney who can help organize all required professionals needed in the creation of a regional center.

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    Bernard P Wolfsdorf

    Immigration Attorney
    Answered on

    Processing can take about two years and the cost varied depending on who you retain and the scope of the regional center.