EB-5 Regional Centers Geared up for Beijing Real Estate Show

A number of EB-5 Regional Centers are planning to exhibit at the Beijing Overseas Property and Resort Show April 8-11. The exhibitors include American Dream Fund (LA Regional Centers), California Immigration and Investment Fund, Orlando EB-5 Investments Regional Center (pending), Lake Buena Vista Regional Center, Tennessee State Regional Center (pending).  Artisan Business Group, Inc. EB-5 China Field Support Team will be assisting Orland EB-5 Investment Regional Center (pending) at the show.  For more information about our trade show services, please contact us today.

EB-5 Regional Centers Showcases Investment Projects at Korea Emigration Show

One of the largest international immigration and investment trade shows "Korea Emigration and Investment Fair 2010 Spring" takes place in Seoul, Korea, on March 27-28, 2010. LA Regional Center (American Dream Fund), California Immigration Investment Fund, M&D Regional Center are among the US exhibitors in Seoul. The fair has attracted thousands of show goes each day. The Korean responses to US EB-5 investment projects are very positive and promising.

Wenzhou Overseas Education, Emigration and Investment Expo June 19-20, 2010

Wenzhou Overseas Education, Emigration and Investment Expo will be taking place at the Wenzhou Museum of Science and Technology on June 19-20, 2010. The event is sponsored by Wenzhou Daily Press Group. The city of Wenzhou is one of the most prosperous cities in Zhejiang Province, China, a four hours drive from Shanghai. The city's one million residents have migrated to over 87 countries throughout the world in last twenty years.  The trade show welcomes immigration law firms, EB-5 regional centers, overseas universities and investment projects.  Artisan Business Group is setting up a booth to promote EB-5 projects,  for more information on marketing your project, please contact us today.

American Lifestyles Expo - A Great Showcase for EB-5 Regional Center Projects

The American Lifestyles Exposition is the only expo that has been created for companies like yours to sell their products and services directly to the consumer. The mission of our expo is simple but powerful: to bring the very best products and services America has to offer directly to the Chinese consumer. The Expo is annually held at the World Trade Center facility in Hangzhou, China which is considered one of the wealthiest areas of Asia with a growing population of consumers who want to buy American products and services. The event has received excellent press in the past both in printed media and television. The Expo has been voted the best International Show in Hangzhou.  This year’s expo will be held in October 2010. The organizer offer Sponsorship packages that are suitable for various budgets. Past exhibitors and sponsors have been Apple, GM, IBM, Johnson and Johnson, HP, Disney, GMAC, Ford, Mary Kay, Avon, Marriot, Hershey’s and hundreds more. Many of the past exhibitors and sponsors use the Expo as a way to test new products, themes, packaging directly to the Chinese consumers. Artisan Business Group, Inc. attended  American Lifestyles Expo with three EB-5 projects in 2009.  A number of US real estate firms and EB-5 Regional Centers also promoted their programs at the trade show. For more information about this event, please contact us today.

China and Asia Investment Trade Shows

The following are some annual real estate related major trade shows in China and other regions. There are some non-annual international and regional real estate and investment trade shows in other cities as well.  Our China Team can professionally staff and represent clients at the trade shows.  If you need additional information on the following shows, please let us know.

June

SMART Investment and International Property Expo (HK, June 5-6)

Wenzhou Overseas Education, Emigration and Investment Expo (China, June 19-20)

Real Estate Investment World Asia (Singapore, June 21-23)

September

China International Fair for Investment & Trade (Xiamen, Sept 8-10)

China International Luxury Property Show  (Shanghai, Sept 17-19)

October

American Lifestyles Expo (Hangzhou, China)

Real Estate Investment World Japan (Oct 18-19) – this is management type conference

November

China Overseas Investment Fair (Beijing Nov 3-4)

Finance Expo of Nanjing (Nov 11-12)

Worldwide Property Show & Luxury Property & Lifestyle Expo (Beijing, Nov 12-15)

MIPIM Asia – The World’s Property Market in Asia Pacific 2010 (Hong Kong, Nov 18-20)

For more information, contact us today. 

Beijing Migration Firm Announces Idaho State Regional Center EB-5 Project

A Beijing based migration consulting firm announced the first EB-5 investment project with the Idaho State Regional Center.   The today's promotional seminar at Hong Kong Macao Center Hotel has received tremendous responses from Chinese prospects. For more information about promoting EB-5 projects in China, contact us today.

US Immigration Attorney Meets Chinese Migration Brokers in China

Mr. Mike Dye, California based immigration attorney (ABG immigration advisor), has been meeting Chinese migration consulting firms in Beijing, Taipei, Guangzhou and Shanghai. With assistance from Ms. Melody Chen, Asia/Pacific Director, Artisan Business Group, Inc., and her China staff, Mr. Dye has met over a dozen Chinese migration brokers and law firms to explore partnerships and business relationships.  For more information about promoting your services and business in China, contact us today.

Artisan Business Group, Inc. Offers Chinese Voice-over Services for EB-5 Project Videos

Do you need to create a Chinese language video for promoting your EB-5 Regional Center projects in Chinese market?  Let us help, we work closely with media firms with professional voice artists that can assist you in producing high quality advertising videos.  Sample is available upon request.  We also provide translation services!  Contact us today and we can help you effectively enter the China market.

The SMART Investment & International Property Expo in Hong Kong 2010

Smart Investment And International Property Expo - Hong Kong 2010 is one of the leading events that provides an opportunity to buy real estate, condominiums, developments, apartments, homes, land, and properties from around the world. The event provides an excellent platform for the property developers to meet affluent investors and buyers from all over Asia and grow their business. It features high-quality seminars addressed by experts from the industry. Smart Investment And International Property Expo 2010 will be a place to source a distinctive range of lifestyle property purchases, overseas properties, stocks, funds, and other investment products, in Hong Kong.

Location and Date: Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre  5-6 June 2010

Visitor Profile

The targeted visitors at Smart Investment and International Property Expo 2010 are:

• Engineers & Planners
• Corporate Property Managers
• Industry Authorities
• Architects
• Bankers
• Home Buyers
• Property Industry Suppliers
• Developers
• Agents & Brokers
• Institutional Investors etc.

Exhibitor Profile

The targeted exhibitors at Smart Investment and International Property Expo - Hong Kong 2010 are:

• International property developers
• International property agents
• Fund houses
• Retail / Commercial banks
• Stock brokerage firms
• Financial services companies
• Alternative consumer investments such as wine, art, etc
• Companies wishing to target retail investors and buyers of overseas properties

Organizer Corporate Consumer Communications Ltd.  For more information, contact us today, Artisan Business Group, Inc. will provide complete support to exhibitors at this event.

EB-5 Regional Center Application Advisory

Are you in the process of preparing or developing an application for EB-5 Regional Center designation with USCIS?  No matter your project is involved in real estate such as hotels, shopping centers, mixed-use properties, or manufacturing, assisted living, even warehousing,  let us help you develop a financially viable and attractive EB-5 project that will meet the expectations and preferences of international migration brokers and foreign investors. We have advised many real estate developers on preparing their EB-5 projects to meet the needs of marketplace.  Contact us today!

USCIS California Service Center Hosts EB-5 Forum

USCIS’s California Service Center is hosting an EB-5 Forum on March 16, 2010 in Laguna Niguel, California. The meet will be held from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, and is open to the public. The CSC will be providing  EB-5 updates and open the floor for an informal Q&A with a panel of EB-5 managers, supervisors, and service center counsel. The meeting will be held at the California Service Center, 24000 Avila Road, Laguna Niguel, California 92677. 

EB-5 Spells Opportunity: Visa Program Luring Foreign Investors, Buyers

(Source & Author:  Kevin Brass, International Property Journal)

After languishing in obscurity for 20 years, the EB-5 visa program is suddenly a hot commodity in the U.S. real estate business.

“There’s massive interest compared to a few years ago,” said Stephen Parnell of WhichEB5, a consultancy that started as a relocation service and now focuses almost exclusively on EB-5 visas.

While the name suggests the sequel to a bad sci-fi film, EB-5, in concept, is relatively simple. Foreign investors and their families are offered a fast track to permanent green cards if they invest in projects that create jobs.

The number of immigration visas issued under the so-called “investor’s green card” more than tripled in 2009--from about 1,400 in 2008 to 4,200--in large part due to the unique attributes the program presents the property business.

To developers, EB-5 offers a new track to raise money, appealing to foreign investors who see residency status as an extra bonus for stashing money in U.S. property. At the same time, agents and service companies view the program as a new source for wealthy international clients already committed to moving their families to the U.S.

Rendering of Sky Hotel and Residences

Outside Seattle, Steve Smith of Twin Development LLC is using EB-5 to raise $235 million to fund construction of the Sky Hotel and Residences, a 45-story mixed-use tower, including 400 condominiums. With little “conventional” funding available, he says EB-5 is a way to “broaden access to foreign capital sources while providing a lucrative opportunity for international investors.”

No bank financing will be involved in the project, Smith says. Twin Development is working with partners in Korea, where he expects to raise the bulk of the money from investors eager to jump the long waiting list for U.S. visas. About 70 percent of the EB-5 visas issued in 2009 went to investors from China and Korea, according to State department statistics.

Although EB-5 originally required a $1 million investment, the program now allows a $500,000 minimum, as long as the project is located in a designated “regional center,” typically an area hard hit by the economic crisis.

The number of “regional centers” has more than doubled in the last year, often focusing on real estate projects, anything from office buildings to ski resorts in Vermont.

“It’s very cheap money,” said Chaim Katzap, chief executive of Lion’s Property Development, which has offices in New York and China. “I think it is the best way today to raise equity.”

Using the EB-5 program, Katzap helped raise $60 million from 100 foreign investors for the Brooklyn Navy Yards redevelopment in New York, which is a designated regional center.

How to Get Involved - Connect with law firms and consultancies specializing in EB-5 programs - Get your area certified as a regional center - Seek out expat and immigration groups - Position your firm as EB-5 experts - Market relocation services for EB-5 clients

EB-5 is particularly appealing to wealthy Chinese, who may already have family members working or living in the United States, Katzap says.

“EB-5 does not require language skills, does not require that you work here or that you live here full time,” he said.

Despite the recent activity, EB-5 is still dramatically under utilized. The program allows for 10,000 visas a year, more than twice the number issued in 2009.

Part of the hang-ups is purely bureaucratic. Garnering regional center status requires a lengthy process, with a variety of hurdles to overcome.

Smith said his company spent more than a year lobbying for regional center status for Federal Way, the site of his project. The efforts included a letter of recommendation from Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire and a campaign to demonstrate the area was worthy of the special designation.

“To be a regional center, you have to show it’s an area that needs incentives for development,” Smith said.

The program is also not ideal for all investors. There is no guarantee the investment will be successful, nor is there any assurance that a green card will be issued. The investor’s immigration application will still need to be reviewed and approved, just like any other application.

The investor also takes on the risks of the project, many of which may or may not be a great investment. Construction projects may take years to generate income, which may not suit investors looking for a quick return.

“This is not an easy route to money,” Parnell said. “Some [investors] look at this as the Holy Grail. If they do they are in for a shock, because it’s not easy.”

But chance for a green card is a big enticement for many investors who may not need instant yield on $500,000.

“It’s the predictability of the program,” Parnell said. “If you choose a regional center carefully, it’s the most predictable route to permanent residency.”

While some have criticized the program as a “pay for play” visa program, the program has managed to avoid the emotional and partisan debate over U.S. immigration policy. Due to expire last year, the program was instead extended until 2012, receiving an unusual amount of bipartisan support, thanks to the focus on jobs.

Earlier this year Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Richard Lugar proposed a variation on the EB-5, an EB-6, which would offer a citizenship track for immigrants who start companies in the U.S.

Real estate executives say awareness of the program is at an all time high, especially in areas with high numbers of foreign home buyers.

“Before we would talk about EB-5 once a month,” said Alfredo Vizcarrondo, president of the AV Group, a Florida-based real estate company dealing extensively with buyers from Latin America. “Now we talk about it once a week.”

In Florida, many of the regional centers involve real estate, which fits with investor interest in U.S. property, Vicarrondo says. His company primarily deals with clients from Venezuela and South America, who are eager to live in the United States.

“Everybody is looking for a visa,” Vizcarrondo said.

Strategies for Winning Chinese Real Estate Investors: What Developers, Owners, Fund Managers, and Professionals Need to Know

May 10-11, 2010

Harvard University
Cambridge, MA


“China Investment Corp Invests $800 million in Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund”
“Jin Jiang Hotels JV to Acquire Interstate Hotels and Resorts--$307 Million Deal”
“China State Construction Corporation to Invest $99 Million in Baha Mar Resorts; China Exim Bank in Negotiations to Provide $1.9 Billion Construction Loan”

These headlines and others convey that China is beginning to aim its accumulated wealth at financing and investing in western real estate. But, the western developers and owners, as willing asset sellers, and the Chinese, as willing investors, still have difficulty finding each other, and, when they do, the differences in culture and business practices create barriers to successfully negotiating and closing deals.

To address these issues and to broaden knowledge for real estate professionals on how to capitalize on opportunities in the global context, the Harvard University Graduate School of Design has teamed with Peking University’s Center for Real Estate Law to provide the tools and understanding that real estate professionals need in order to secure Chinese financing and investment.

Taught by outstanding faculty from Harvard University and Peking University, as well as leading industry experts, participants will learn:

• The differences between how Chinese and western professionals think about and do business
• The Chinese investors’ appetite for overseas real estate investments by asset class, including funds and securities
• How to effectively find the right Chinese investor—government, institutional, corporate, and individual—for each deal
• How to manage Chinese legal and regulatory issues
• How to prepare to approach a Chinese investor
• How to negotiate and close a deal with a Chinese investor

By the end of the program, participants will be able to plan, step-by-step, how to find, approach, and close a deal with a Chinese real estate investor. For more information, contact us today.

Reports from China: 524 Migration Agencies Passed 2008 Annual Reviews

Total 524 licensed migration consulting agencies (exit and entry service providers) have passed 2008 annual review conducted by the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China.  The 2009 annual review will be conducted in May 2010.  International migration and education services are strictly regulated by the Ministry of Public Security of China,  migration agencies must obtain broker license and have a safety deposit with the regulatory administration. It is considered illegal to conduct EB-5 investor immigration services without a migration broker license. For more information about Chinese migration services and the governmental regulation, please contact us today.

Application Plan for EB-5 Regional Center Designation

(Author: Kevin Wright)

THE BUSINESS PLAN REQUIREMENT FOR THE EB-5 APPLICATION

You have to have a business plan-absolutely- here’s why:

A summary of the Regional Center requirements follow:

A Regional Center is defined as any economic unit, public or private, which is involved with the promotion of economic growth, improved regional productivity, job creation, and increased domestic capital investment. The organizers of a regional center seeking the regional center designation from USCIS must submit a proposal showing:

How the regional center plans to focus on a geographical region within the U.S., and must explain how the regional center will achieve the required economic growth within this regional area

That the regional center’s business plan can be relied upon as a viable business model grounded in reasonable and credible estimates and assumptions for market conditions, project costs, and activity timelines

How in verifiable detail (using economic models in some instances) jobs will be created directly or indirectly through capital investments made in accordance with the regional center’s business plan

The amount and source of capital committed to the project and the promotional efforts made and planned for the business project.

As noted above, an economic analysis, proof of source of funds and a comprehensive business plan are the three “must have” requirements the USCIS will review in making the Regional Center designation decision.

Business plans are formally written and carefully executed documents that represent the facts, strategic direction, business definitions, intent and integrity that entrepreneurs and executive managers utilize in the creation of businesses. Professional plans require an external business professional to assess complex information, provide relevant additional research, and craft both information and research into an organized, formal proposal that speaks directly to its audience.

In the case of business plans used in conjunction with immigrant-investor visas, the primary audience for whom the plan is written is the Department of Homeland Security/United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (DHS)/USCIS. Therefore, the business plan that Wright Johnson prepares not only contain standard criteria, such as analysis of strategic directions, business development and implementation details and management expertise and experience, but also satisfies DHS/USCIS standards. In all cases, the plans written by Wright Johnson are unique to each client while maintaining the vital categorical information that the DHS/CIS requires.

In a memorandum dated June 17, 2009, Donald Neufeld, the Acting Associate Director for Domestic Operations, has provided some guidance on the employment-based fifth preference (EB-5) green card category reserved for entrepreneurs willing to invest  substantial capital into the U.S. and create at least 10 full-time jobs.

The Neufeld Memorandum directs the adjudicators that a specific business plan be required as part of each EB-5 application which business plan must provide accounting of the required number of jobs created within the two-year period of conditional residency.

The June 17 memo fails to provide guidance on how detailed a business plan must be.  However, guidance can be found in the following:

In 1998 the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) set forth EB-5 business plan requirements in Matter of Ho.  According to that decision, as part of an I-526 petition an EB-5 investor must submit a comprehensive business plan showing:

the need for at least 10 qualifying employees, and when the employees will be hired

The plan should include a description of the business and the business’ objectives

a market analysis including names of competing businesses and their relative strengths and weaknesses

a comparison of the competition’s products and pricing structures

a description of the target market and prospective customers

a description of any manufacturing or production processes, materials required and supply sources

details of any contracts executed

marketing strategy including pricing, advertising, and servicing

organizational structure

sales, cost and income projections and details of the basis therefore

In addition, specifically with respect to employment, the business plan must set forth the company’s personnel experience, staffing requirements, job descriptions for all positions, and a timetable for hiring.

If you are planning to establish your own EB-5 Regional Center, contact us today.

US Real Estate Firms Prepare for Beijing Overseas Property and Resorts Show

A number of US real estate developers and EB-5 Regional Centers are planning to exhibit their investment projects at the Beijing Overseas Property and Resorts Show, a part of Beijing Real Estate Fair, the largest trade event in the Chinese capital.  Last year's real estate fair attracted over 150,000 visitors from all over the country.  The show will take place April 8-11. For more information about the event, please contact us today.

ABG Client Departs for China

A group of California immigration attorneys is headed to Beijing for a 9-day trip to attend the 17th China International Education Expo and hold various business meetings with licensed migration brokers and law firms in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Artisan Business Group, Inc., provides complete business matchmaking services, meeting arrangements, and logistics support to the visiting group.  For more information about our EB-5 China Marketing and Field Support Center, please log on http://www.midwestUSAChina.com/eb5support.htm.

IIUSA (Invest in the USA) Announces New Board of Directors Appointment

IIUSA announced that Mr. Bill Stenger, President & CEO of Jay Peak Resort, has been appointed to fill one of the two vacancies on the IIUSA Board of Directors.  IIUSA is a trade association and advocacy group for EB-5 regional centers. Mr. Peter Joseph is newly appointed Interim Executive Director replacing Mr. Stephen Yale-Loehr who resigned the post last month.

Massachusetts Real Estate Firm Retains Artisan Business Group for EB-5 China Advisory Services

A Massachusetts restate estate management company retains Artisan Business Group, Inc., for EB-5 China and Asian market advisory service.  Artisan Business Group, Inc., has been assisting many real estate developers and other business executives in developing realistic EB-5 projects that will meet the market demands and needs in Asia and China.  Mr. Brian Su, CEO of Artisan Business Group, Inc. has shared his top-notch expertise and knowledge with many senior executives around the country that are seeking EB-5 regional center designations with the USCIS.  For more information about establishing your own EB-5 regional center or developing EB-5 immigrant investment projects, please contact us today.

Surprise looking to attract more foreign investors

(Source: Phoenix Business Journal - by Mike Sunnucks)
The city of Surprise wants to attract more foreign investment to finance solar and technology startups.
Economic Development Director Jeanine Jerkovic said Surprise has applied to become a regional center in the federal EB-5 visa program, which allows foreign nationals and their immediate families to get permanent U.S. green cards if they invest $500,000 to $1 million in the U.S. economy.
“We hope it will spearhead another source of funding,” Jerkovic said.
She expects the foreign investment zone designation to help attract cash infusions for solar, biomedical and high-tech startups in Surprise, including the AZ TechCelerator, a business incubator housed in the old Surprise City Hall. She also said there is one health care company that could receive foreign investment if the city gets the EB-5 designation.
If the Arizona Department of Commerce and federal government designate Surprise as a regional center, the foreign investment threshold would be $500,000 and each investment must create at least 10 jobs to qualify for the visa program.
Regional centers must exhibit economic needs, including economic distress such as high unemployment rates. In January, the U.S. unemployment rate was 9.7 percent. The rate in Surprise was 8.4 percent overall, but it was as high as 14 percent in some geographic areas, Jerkovic said.
Fernando Jimenez, international trade and investment director for ADOC, said his agency approved Surprise’s application to become a foreign investment zone at the beginning of the year, and it now is under consideration by the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. He expects a decision within six months.

Good opportunity

The EB-5 visa program has been around since 1990, but has come more into focus as credit and financing options evaporate for startups and small businesses. U.S. financial institutions have strangled small-business and consumer lending as banks try to boost reserves and avoid bad investments during the recession.
“This is a great opportunity for projects that don’t have conventional sources of funding,” Jimenez said.
He said the regional investment zones can be operated by cities or by private groups. They can be narrowly designated for a single project or industry, or have a broader scope.
Jerkovic said Surprise’s proposed EB-5 zone covers the entire city and is focused on new technologies including solar, biotechnology and information technology. She hopes it will help bring business investments into the West Valley from markets such as Spain, Canada and China.
ADOC also has approved applications for investment zone designations from Yuma, Florence and South Phoenix. Those are under consideration at the federal level, Jimenez said.
But Rob Sanchez, author of the Job Destruction newsletter in Chandler, said foreign investors sometimes get their green cards without coming through with promised investments. He also questions the idea of the U.S. government essentially selling green cards to rich investors.
“Foreigners come into the U.S. flashing big billfolds, but they rarely invest the half- to $1 million they were supposed to,” Sanchez said. “They usually end up investing a fraction of the money, perhaps $10,000 in dubious enterprises, and they have no intent to hire Americans.”

Piggyback efforts

Surprise’s efforts piggyback on those of Westmarc, which is seeking foreign trade zone status for the West Valley. That status would bring state and federal tax breaks for manufacturing, distribution and industrial companies.
Jack Lunsford, president of the economic development group, said getting foreign trade zone status would help attract businesses from California. He said federal agencies are reviewing Westmarc’s application.
There currently are six foreign trade zones in the state, including parts of Phoenix and Mesa. The West Valley trade zone would includes areas of Goodyear, Avondale and Tonopah off Interstate 10.
Arizona’s only EB-5 zone to date is operated by Scottsdale-based McDowell Enterprises Inc. That zone encompasses Maricopa and Pinal counties and allows for foreign investment in development and construction of medical buildings.
McDowell Enterprises is a developer of medical office buildings. Company executives did not comment for this story.
There are 89 regional centers nationwide under the EB-5 program, according to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. Some of them are in Los Angeles, Napa Valley and Riverside, Calif.; Las Vegas; Seattle; and Miami.

Artisan Business Group Offers EB-5 Documentation Chinese Translation Services

Artisan Business Group, Inc., has been providing professional EB-5 Chinese translation services over four years. Our team of experienced EB-5 translators has translated a large number of regional center marketing flyers, EB-5 project brochures, PPM, subscription agreements, fee agreement for legal services, investor, spouse & child questionnaires, website contents, business cards, voice-over transcripts, and many more. Our translators are highly experienced  and knowledgeable about the U.S. EB-5 Regional Center programs.  We also provide translation services for immigration law firms. If your EB-5 regional center and investment projects need low cost and professional Chinese translation services, contact us today!