Press Release -Portland to Host National EB-5 Capital Conference

March 13th, 2012

The federal EB-5 foreign investment program brought in more than $1.25 billion in capital for U.S. businesses in 2011; conference to cover how businesses can raise capital through EB-5 with the goal of boosting local economies

PORTLAND, Oregon—March 5, 2012—Experts will address “Unlocking Foreign Capital through the Federal EB-5 Program” at a Friday, March 30, 2012, conference in Portland, the EB-5 Institute announced today. In 2011 alone, American enterprises raised an estimated $1.25 billion in EB-5 foreign investment to create or save more than 55,600 U.S. jobs. Given the current condition of the credit market, EB-5 may be the answer for businesses without traditional capital options.

“This promises to be a great primer on the EB-5 program for those who are looking for capital for employment-based real estate projects and established businesses,” said Peter Englander, central city manager with the Portland Development Commission. “The City of Portland has worked with all interested EB-5 Regional Centers to align the City’s interests to attract new investment into Portland.”

Also known as the Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 was created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment. Immigrant investors create a new commercial enterprise or invest in a troubled business, and high net worth overseas investors get an available and expedient green card option.

The conference will provide clear and practical information for:

Developers and business owners interested in EB-5 capital
Attorneys specializing in immigration and business
Current and prospective EB-5 Regional Centers (more than 95 percent of EB-5 investment is conducted through federally approved Regional Centers)

“We’ve seen a growing interest in EB-5 as an available and expedient source of capital – especially as early signs point to EB-5 investment surpassing $2 billion in 2012,” said Joseph C. McCarthy, co-founder of the EB-5 Institute. “Now we want to help cities, regions and businesses jumpstart development and boost local economies by shedding light on the process.”

Designed to prepare attendees to take advantage of EB-5, conference topics include preparing your business for EB-5 investment, developing an EB-5-compliant business plan, legal entities involved in EB-5 transactions, the importance of an EB-5 Regional Center designation and what individual investors must submit to invest in a business (I-526 Visa Petition), as well as new advanced topics including using EB-5 to repay interim financing.

The conference’s keynote will be provided by McCarthy, an Oregon native and proprietor of the American Dream Fund, Portland Regional Center. McCarthy is an immigration attorney who has represented more than 30 Regional Centers and dozens of projects. He serves as legislative committee chair with Invest in USA, a national trade association of EB-5 Regional Centers.

Featured presenters include economist and EB-5 Institute co-founder Kevin Wright, who is considered one of the nation’s foremost experts on EB-5, and attorneys Michael Homeier and Jor Law, who have counseled corporations and Regional Centers on raising EB-5 capital, resulting in transactions with an aggregate deal value of more than $500 million in the last year alone.

Registration for the March 30, 2012, conference at the Governor Hotel in Portland, Oregon, is available at www.EB5Institute.com . Fees for the full-day event start at $550. Space is limited and organizers expect the conference to sell out.

Artisan Business Group will host a second workshop focused on marketing EB-5 projects overseas on Saturday, March 31, 2012, at the Governor Hotel. Information about the second workshop is available at the website.

About the EB-5 Institute
The EB-5 Institute is the first organization dedicated exclusively to providing clear, practical and useful information about EB-5 through expert-led conferences held in locations across the U.S. Hundreds of people – including developers and business owners interested in EB-5 capital, attorneys specializing in immigration and business, and EB-5 Regional Centers – have attended conferences led by a team of nationally recognized EB-5 experts. Learn more at www.EB5Institute.com .

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Portland to Host National EB-5 Capital Conference

March 8th, 2012

The federal EB-5 foreign investment program brought in more than $1.25 billion in capital for U.S. businesses in 2011; conference to cover how businesses can raise capital through EB-5 with the goal of boosting local economies

PORTLAND, Oregon—March 5, 2012—Experts will address “Unlocking Foreign Capital through the Federal EB-5 Program” at a Friday, March 30, 2012, conference in Portland, the EB-5 Institute announced today. In 2011 alone, American enterprises raised an estimated $1.25 billion in EB-5 foreign investment to create or save more than 55,600 U.S. jobs. Given the current condition of the credit market, EB-5 may be the answer for businesses without traditional capital options.

“This promises to be a great primer on the EB-5 program for those who are looking for capital for employment-based real estate projects and established businesses,” said Peter Englander, central city manager with the Portland Development Commission. “The City of Portland has worked with all interested EB-5 Regional Centers to align the City’s interests to attract new investment into Portland.”

Also known as the Immigrant Investor Program, EB-5 was created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment. Immigrant investors create a new commercial enterprise or invest in a troubled business, and high net worth overseas investors get an available and expedient green card option.

The conference will provide clear and practical information for:

Developers and business owners interested in EB-5 capital
Attorneys specializing in immigration and business
Current and prospective EB-5 Regional Centers (more than 95 percent of EB-5 investment is conducted through federally approved Regional Centers)

“We’ve seen a growing interest in EB-5 as an available and expedient source of capital – especially as early signs point to EB-5 investment surpassing $2 billion in 2012,” said Joseph C. McCarthy, co-founder of the EB-5 Institute. “Now we want to help cities, regions and businesses jumpstart development and boost local economies by shedding light on the process.”

Designed to prepare attendees to take advantage of EB-5, conference topics include preparing your business for EB-5 investment, developing an EB-5-compliant business plan, legal entities involved in EB-5 transactions, the importance of an EB-5 Regional Center designation and what individual investors must submit to invest in a business (I-526 Visa Petition), as well as new advanced topics including using EB-5 to repay interim financing.

The conference’s keynote will be provided by McCarthy, an Oregon native and proprietor of the American Dream Fund, Portland Regional Center. McCarthy is an immigration attorney who has represented more than 30 Regional Centers and dozens of projects. He serves as legislative committee chair with Invest in USA, a national trade association of EB-5 Regional Centers.

Featured presenters include economist and EB-5 Institute co-founder Kevin Wright, who is considered one of the nation’s foremost experts on EB-5, and attorneys Michael Homeier and Jor Law, who have counseled corporations and Regional Centers on raising EB-5 capital, resulting in transactions with an aggregate deal value of more than $500 million in the last year alone.

Registration for the March 30, 2012, conference at the Governor Hotel in Portland, Oregon, is available at www.EB5Institute.com . Fees for the full-day event start at $550. Space is limited and organizers expect the conference to sell out.

Artisan Business Group will host a second workshop focused on marketing EB-5 projects overseas on Saturday, March 31, 2012, at the Governor Hotel. Information about the second workshop is available at the website.

About the EB-5 Institute
The EB-5 Institute is the first organization dedicated exclusively to providing clear, practical and useful information about EB-5 through expert-led conferences held in locations across the U.S. Hundreds of people – including developers and business owners interested in EB-5 capital, attorneys specializing in immigration and business, and EB-5 Regional Centers – have attended conferences led by a team of nationally recognized EB-5 experts. Learn more at www.EB5Institute.com .

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“Do’s and don’ts” for EB-5 investment subject of Portland EB-5 Institute seminar March 30-31, 2012

March 8th, 2012

Last year set a new record for EB-5 investment. More than $1.25 billion was invested into American businesses in 2011 using the immigration investment program. Early visa statistics for 2012 suggest that investment amount may double this year.

However, the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), which oversees the program, reported that they denied 44% of applications for EB-5 Regional Center designation filed between 10/2010 and 12/2011. Similar trends are evident with respect to the adjudication of the individual I-526 visa petitions.

These statistics suggest that EB-5 remains a valuable capital source, but only for those projects willing to properly prepare their business for EB-5 investment.

Common pitfalls

So what are applicants doing wrong? In listing common reasons for denials and Requests for Evidence, USCIS has emphasized the importance of:

Business plans
Reasonable and supported economic analyses
Investment structures that comply with EB-5 regulations
Thorough source of funds analyses to verify investor capital comes from lawful sources

Helping businesses, attorneys, and developers learn the “do’s and don’ts” of these elements of EB-5 will be the subject of the next EB-5 Institute conference in Portland, Oregon on March 30 and 31 , featuring Suzanne Lazicki as a guest speaker.

Access to EB-5 experts

EB-5 Institute seminars provide individuals with access to some of the nation’s most respected immigration attorneys, business plan writers, economists and business attorneys, as well as experienced Regional Center proprietors and tax credit professionals.

The idea is that prospective businesses and legal professionals get a more complete understanding of the process and common pitfalls through an EB-5 practicum with these experts will give.

For more information, please visit our website at www.eb5institute.com .

Joseph McCarthy, MS JD
Attorney | Principal, American Dream Fund | Founder of EB-5 Institute

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Marketing strategy to sell vacation suites is not investment in a commercial enterprise

February 3rd, 2012

The following link will take you to a recent AAO decision that upheld the rejection of a Regional Center. Click here

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“The Midwest Conference on Foreign Investment: EB-5 & FDI Investments” Set to Take Place in St. Louis February 17th

January 24th, 2012

Brian Su, CEO of Artisan Business Group, Inc., announces “The Midwest Conference on Foreign Investment: EB-5 & FDI Investments” in St. Louis. A wide array of EB-5 investment and foreign direct investment experts will come together to share their knowledge with U.S. business professionals to explore attracting both FDI and EB-5 investments.

A wide array of international investment and EB-5 investment experts will come together to share their knowledge with U.S. business professionals in St. Louis this coming month. “The Midwest Conference on Foreign Investment” is drawing U.S. companies, commercial real estate developers, immigration attorneys, investment bankers, government officials, and venture capitalists, among others, to be educated on the latest trends in foreign direct investment (FDI) and EB-5 immigrant investors program. In addition to its educational value, the event will provide a great opportunity for capital seekers to network and connect with others in the industry.

The February 17th, 2012 event, which will take place in St. Louis, MO, will be centered on the topic of foreign direct investment into the United States and EB-5 immigrant investment. The conference aims to help U.S. companies tap into foreign capital sources, with the ultimate goal of stimulating the economy and creating American jobs. The all-day event will feature some of the most highly-renowned and experienced international investment professionals. The Keynote Speaker of the event will be Mr. Frank W. McNeil, Director of Office Business and Workforce Diversity for the Illinois Department of Transportation. Other scheduled speakers include Mr. Brian Su, CEO of Artisan Business Group, Inc., Mr. Kevin Wright, President of Wright Johnson LLC, Dr. Nitish Singh, Associate Professor of International Business at the Boeing Institute of International Business at St. Louis University, and Dr. J. Mark Munoz, Associate Professor of International Business at Millikin University. More speakers are to be announced prior to the event.

“In the last five years, we see capital investments from from Asia and China to the heartland of America, it certainly helps communities to create more local jobs, this is the first time we bring an international investment conference to St. Louis, we are very excited about it” says Brian Su, CEO of Artisan Business Group, Inc., an Illinois based Sino-US investment expert.

The conference will provide valuable insight and networking opportunities to those with previous international investment experience, as well as to first-time capital seekers. This year’s event is being hosted and sponsored by Artisan Business Group, Inc., and will be held at the Embassy Suites St. Louis Airport Hotel. Those attending the event also have the opportunity to meet the prior day with Artisan Business Group’s CEO, Mr. Brian Su, for a 1-hour private consultation.

To see more details about the event and registration, visit http://www.InvestmentfromAsia.com.

Press Contact:

Brian Su

Artisan Business Group, Inc.

http://www.EB5NewsBlog.org

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Advanced EB-5 Seminar in Los Angeles

January 23rd, 2012

Come join us for an advanced seminar focusing on businesses interested in raising capital through the EB-5 program! Attendees should include developers, private equity groups, hotel, hospital, assisted living operators, restauranteurs, start-up companies and other businesses seeking funding from foreigners. There will be small group sessions with the presenters during the second half of the seminar. Breakfast buffet is included.
The seminar will answer questions such as:
What kind of projects are the investors looking for?
Can foreignors invest in a fund with other types of investors?
How much time and how much does it cost to create a Regional Center?
How do you calculate the induced and indirect job creation for a project?
What kind of SEC regulations do I need to be aware of while raising capital through EB-5?
The program is supposed to sunset this year, what are the chances that Congress will not continue the program?

Moderator:
Angeline Chen – Immigration attorney from The Law Office of Angeline Chen. www.angelinechen.com
Speakers:
Joseph McCarthy – Immigration attorney and Principal of several Regional centers.www.adreamfund.com
Kevin Wright – EB-5 Economist from Wright Johnson, LLC based in Florida. http://wrightjohnsonllc.com/
Jor Law – EB-5 SEC attorney from Law & Homeier. www.homeierlaw.com

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact me to inquire.
There is a free 90 minute parking lot across the street.
Space is limited. Please register as soon as possible. Thank you and looking forward to seeing all of you!
For any questions, please call (626) 795-0785 or email at achen@angelinechenlaw.com.

To see the

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Victorville Loses Final Appeal – Daily Press

December 25th, 2011

Written by Brooke Edwards Staggs, City Editor Victorville Daily Press

VICTORVILLE • A federal appeals office upheld the termination of Victorville’s EB-5 visa investor center, leaving the city with no option but to pursue a pricey lawsuit or say goodbye to millions in funding they’d hoped to borrow through the program.

City officials got the news Thursday afternoon, with plans to discuss next steps during the Jan. 17 city council meeting.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved Victorville’s Regional Center in 2009, allowing foreign nationals to supply at-risk loans to the city so long as that money helped create 10 local jobs. Investors would then be granted U.S. visas and the loans would have to be paid back five years later with interest.

Nineteen people gave Victorville $500,000 each under the program, and the city intended to use that money to pay back restricted funds borrowed from its water department to build the struggling wastewater plant at Southern California Logistics Airport.

Then, in a precedent-setting move, USCIS terminated Victorville’s program in October 2010 due to “material factual discrepancies” in related financial reports.

Victorville sent USCIS additional information and appealed to that office to overturn the decision, but was turned down in May. The city then filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C. District Court against USCIS, the Department of Homeland Security and several top officials with those agencies, but agreed to pause that civil case as it waited on word from USCIS’s Administrative Appeals Office.

In a letter dated Dec. 21, the AAO affirmed the decision to terminate Victorville’s program.

The appeals office pointed out several fatal flaws in the EB-5 center here, including apparent contradictions between information provided by Councilman Mike Rothschild and the city’s attorneys, conflicts in the timeline of when the city loaned funds versus when it told USCIS they were needed and more.

However, the primary reason for upholding the termination was because Victorville couldn’t prove it had met the EB-5 program’s strict job requirements.

“At issue is whether the alien investors can be credited with job creation when, in actuality, they are merely preserving jobs,” the letter states, pointing out that Victorville said it never spent the loan money but its wastewater plant is already operating.

The city built its wastewater treatment plant primarily using interfund loans, pledging to pay them back in part with EB-5 funds. Now the city has refunded all $9.5 million in loans it had collected and is hoping the regional Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority will buy its plant so it can replenish reserves.

The City Council will discuss whether to move forward with its lawsuit against the federal government during closed session beginning 5 p.m. Jan. 17 in City Hall. The meeting on Jan. 3 has been canceled due to the holidays.

Brooke Edwards Staggs may be reached at (760) 955-5358 or at bedwards@VVDailyPress.com.

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South America Heating Up for EB-5 Investment – Sun Sentinel Article

December 17th, 2011

The Obama administration has promised to streamline a smart, productive aspect of America’s immigration conundrum. It must follow through.

The EB-5 immigration visa can be a win for South Florida and the United States. It works like this: In return for investing $500,000 in a depressed zone, or in a rural area, or $1 million anywhere else, a foreign national and his family are granted the visa for entry and residence in the United States. If that investment creates 10 jobs for at least two years, that visa becomes permanent.

Since it was implemented in 1990, the program is credited with creating 34,000 jobs. Today, at a time when business financing is tight and unemployment is high, the EB-5 program makes more sense than ever. It is needed more than ever.

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That’s certainly the case in South Florida. To our south, Miami-Dade County has been a hemispheric gateway and crossroads for decades. The recession has been particularly harsh, and the county has one of the highest poverty rates in America.

Countdown to the Holidays. Are you ready? We can help!

Yet, petitions for EB-5 visas from Latin American countries have increased by about 71 percent, with Venezuela and Mexico being the most active. Given South Florida’s deep links to the Americas, a spike in investment from the hemisphere is bound to boost our region more than most other parts of the United States.

What’s more, it’s no coincidence that necessary post-Sept. 11 security restrictions plus the vitriolic debates over immigration reform have curtailed foreign investment and spending in Florida and South Florida, perhaps costing us billions of dollars a year. The delay in approving critical trade treaties with Panama and Colombia didn’t exactly send the most welcoming of messages, either.

Streamlining and expanding the EB-5 program would set a much better tone. And it’s an issue that ought to draw bipartisan support from Democrats and Republicans. Who could be against foreign investment in America to provide jobs and repatriate some of the capital that flows out of the country through deep trade deficits?

Actually, we shouldn’t ask. We shouldn’t tempt anyone.

To properly maximize the program by expanding it will require bolstering some of its features. One area that needs attention are the so-called regional centers that facilitate the foreign investment. Care must be taken to make sure all regional centers are able to assist in turning the investment into jobs and economic gains.

But there’s no doubt the EB-5 program is needed — and especially now.

Copyright © 2011, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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Wright Johnson is honored as EB-5 Consultant of the Year for the second straight year

December 16th, 2011

EB5NewsBlog.org and Brian Su have recently announced that that have chosen Wright Johnson to be their choice as EB-5 service provider of the year.

2011 EB-5 Service Provider of the Year – Wright Johnson, LLC.
EB5NewsBlog.org is glad to announce that Wright Johnson, LLC., has been selected for the 2011 EB-5 Service Provider of the Year Award. Wright Johnson LLC received the same award in 2010!

Wright Johnson, LLC, is a southern Florida based EB-5 consulting firm that specializes in assisting clients in obtaining EB-5 Regional Center designations with the USCIS. The firm is one of the top producing RC application submission providers in 2010. The firm maintains has assisted over 30 regional centers in obtaining USCIS approvals and currently has over 15 pending applications! Congratulations to Mr. Kevin Wright and his professional team. For more information about Wright Johnson, LLC, log on its website at http://wrightjohnsonllc.com.

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Clients in the News – American Dream Fund Portland

December 16th, 2011

Earlier today in the Portland Business Journal Wendy Culverwell wrote the following.

Pearl District developer Homer Williams is teaming with American Dream Fund to build Portland’s first project funded by immigrants seeking green cards to live in the U.S. Williams and American Dream Fund want to build a 225-room Residence Inn by Marriott in the Pearl District at Northwest Ninth Street between Marshall and Northrup. The roughly $22 million to build the hotel will come largely from Chinese investors seeking green cards through the federal EB-5 program.

Established in 1990, EB-5 rewards investors who create jobs in the U.S. with green cards, allowing them to live legally in the U.S. The program is widely used in other parts of the country but is only now being embraced in Oregon.

Williams’ firm, Williams/Dame & Associates, and American Dream Fund will secure investments chiefly from China, which accounts for about 70 percent of EB-5 applications. The Marriott project is the first of what promises to be many immigrant-funded construction projects in the Portland area. Marvin Kau, Portland representative for a separate firm, American United Development, expects to announce its first EB-5 project next week. Williams is forming a another firm, EB5 Global. His daughter, Devin Williams, is president. Spokesman John Mangan said EB5 Global will pursue government accreditation in the coming year to fuel Williams’ own future projects. As Oregon’s first EB-5 project, the Residence Inn by Marriott promises to be as pivotal as some of Williams’ earlier efforts. Regarded as one of Portland’s most influential business leaders, Williams played key roles in the transformation of 34 acres of rail yard into the Pearl District and more recently, the creation of the South Waterfront district at the former North Macadam industrial area. It is unclear how many investors will participate in the Portland Marriott project or how many visas it could generate. EB-5 investors and their immediate families are eligible for green cards. While they could choose to settle in Portland, they are not required to do so.

EB-5 promises to be an important new source of investment dollars for Oregon businesses. American United officials said the firm would invest $100 million in Oregon in its first year when the program won approval last spring. The Residence Inn project unites an all-star development team. Sera Architects designed the six-story, 170,000-square foot project to qualify for LEED Silver certification. Howard S. Wright Constructors , a division of Dallas-based Balfour Beatty, will build it. It will employ several hundred construction workers.

The team submitted designs to the city this month. It cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when the Portland Development Commission agreed to let Hoyt Street Properties sell the site to the hotel team. PDC’s original agreement with Hoyt Street required it to construct a residential project with 30 units set aside as “affordable” to residents earning up to 120 percent of the area median income, or $59,280 for a two-person household. Williams/Dame will break ground in January 2013 and open the hotel, the Pearl’s first hotel, by spring 2014. Williams declined to disclose the project’s budget. It is likely to be around $22 million, based on construction estimate guidelines published by Rider Levett Bucknall. RLB’s fourth-quarter construction cost estimates peg the cost to construct a mid-level hotel in Portland at about $130 per square foot. The hotel project is unrelated to Williams’ separate fundraising activities. Since 2009, he has been associated with 15 separate funds that have collectively raised $28.8 million out of $29.1 million sought, according to Form D filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Williams did not answer questions about the purpose of the funds, which typically are invested to acquire or develop real estate –– his core business. Created by Congress, EB-5 is managed by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. Williams is becoming an active EB-5 developer. In March, he will break ground on another Marriott project. The 22-story, 377-room project in downtown Los Angeles is funded by immigrant investors through Seattle-based American Life Inc. The project is separate from the Portland Marriott though several of the principals, including Williams, are involved with both efforts.

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