Each year, the EB-5 Program attracts thousands of foreign nationals who are interested in obtaining U.S. visas. The only question is, which program should you choose?

Here are the main EB-5 regional center advantages over the direct EB-5 Program in order of importance:

1. Indirect and induced job creation

Regional centers benefit from being able to count indirect and induced job creation as well as direct job creation. This makes fulfilling the EB-5 Program requirement that each investor be credited with 10 full time jobs for qualified U.S. workers easier to prove. Regional centers are allowed to use economic studies that show the impact job-creation, by way of the investment and project, will have in the local area.

2. Policy-making role

In many cases the Direct EB-5 Program will require an investor to actively manage their investment. If the day-to-day management of business operations is unappealing, the EB-5 Regional Center Program allows investors to take on a more passive role of policy adviser or similar position where they do not have to be involved in day-to-day operations. A second benefit of taking on a more passive role is that the investor does not need to live near their investment. This is especially important if the investment is located in a targeted employment area (TEA), which is a rural or area high unemployment, and the investor rather live in a different area of the country. The third major benefit is that an investor will have the time and freedom to pursue other interests.

3. Targeted employment areas (TEA)

TEA are not limited to the EB-5 Regional Center Program. An EB-5 direct investment can be made in a TEA, however, more often than not regional centers take advantage of TEA because of their lower minimum investment requirement. Investing in a TEA reduces the minimum investment amount from $1 million to $500,000.While the definition of a TEA is a rural or high unemployment area that is 150% the national average rate, due to how they are determined, many projects have been approved for TEA status while being located in major cities such as New York City.Here are five additional benefits of the EB-5 Program irrespective of which program you choose:1. You may be able to obtain U.S. permanent residency (green card status) faster than through other visa categories.2. You, your spouse, and your unmarried children under the age of 21 years can all obtain visas under your EB-5 application.3. Being able to live in the U.S. as a visa holder may make you eligible for reduced in-state tuition to many world-class universities.4. There are no language, skill, experience, age, or employment requirements in order to apply for the EB-5 Program.5. You and your immediate family may be eligible for U.S. citizenship 5 years after obtaining your conditional permanent residency.For more information about the EB-5 Regional Center advantages, send us a message.[formidable id="11" title="1"]