CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT BLOG

November 2018: How do I become a resident or citizen of the USA?

Answer: While there are various pathways to become a resident and - eventually - citizen in the USA, the program that has received the most attention over the past several years is the EB-5 visa for Immigrant Investors. This visa program was established in 1990 and provides a method of obtaining the "Green Card" for foreign nationals who invest funds in the United States.

To stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital, the United States is offering foreign investors a visa that can lead to permanent residency and ultimately citizenship in return for a minimum investment of US$ 900,000 in a new commercial enterprise.

The purpose of the EB-5 visa is to create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers excluding the investor and their immediate family.

To obtain the visa, individuals must invest a minimum of US$ 1,800,000 (or US$ 900,000 if in a "Targeted Employment Area" - an area of high unemployment), creating or preserving at least 10 jobs for U.S. workers excluding the investor and their immediate family.

Investments can be made directly into a new or existing job-generating commercial enterprise, or into a "Regional Center", a 3rd party-managed investment vehicle, which assumes the responsibility of creating the requisite jobs. Regional Centers may charge an administration fee for managing the investor's investment.

If the foreign investor's application is approved, the investor and their dependents will be granted conditional permanent residence valid for two years.

After two years the investor may apply for permanent residency (the "Green Card"). After five years of residency (conditional plus permanent) the investor may apply for U.S. citizenship.

Unfortunately, the popularity of the EB-5 program has recently caused a significant backlog in application processing. For some countries the current delay between filing an application and receiving the Green Card can be as much as 3 to 4 years. Please contact us for the current wait times for applications filed from your country.  


Because the Malta immigration by investment program details can change over time please contact us about the current rules and regulations.

Click here for the Malta citizenship by investment program. Click here for the Malta residency programs.

To start the application process online please register here.

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