The Immigrant Investor (EB-5) Pilot Program is designed to encourage foreign investment by providing a vehicle for investment in the form of an economic unit called a “Regional Center.” The Regional Centers are private or public entities that have received government approval to participate in the program. They enable the amassing and pooling of capital for targeted investment in designated regions in the United States.
For the Investor, these Regional Centers are attractive because they allow for a less restrictive job creation requirement. Instead of having to prove direct job creation, the investor may show indirect job creation through such methods as economic and statistic forecasting tools.
The required investment amount is $1 million, or $500,000 if located in a rural or targeted employment area. In addition, Regional Centers typically charge additional amounts in fees.
In December 2008 USCIS released an updated Regional Center list, with quite a few changes to the participants. Several new regional centers popped up around the country, while others disappeared from the list. In addition, those centers on the list which previously had been flagged due to administrative matters pending with UCSIS, apparently have been rectified. In total, USCIS says it has approved about 32 centers and has 12-15 applications pending.
As the status of these Regional Centers as participants in the Pilot Program can change, before investing any money, verify the center is still approved and active in the Pilot Program.
For more information on the EB-5 Immigrant Investor visa see our other article EB – 5 Permanent Residency through Investment.
Please note that this pilot program expires at the end of September 2008 unless reinstated. The program was temporarily extended until March 6, 2009 as part of Congress’ continuing budge resolution, but is awaiting Congressional approval for reinstatement for beyond that date.
In alphabetical order by state, the Regional Centers deemed “active” include:
ALABAMA
Alabama Center for Foreign Investment Regional Center
Address: RSA Union, 100 North Union Street, Suite 682, Montgomery, AL 36104
Phone/Fax: (334) 954-3111/(334) 954-3112
Website: http://www.eb5alabama.com
Email: director@acfi-alabama.com; gc@acfi-alabama.com
Geographic Area: State of Alabama.
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Heavy and light manufacturing; agriculture; high technology; construction; hospitality, resort and service industries (hotels, restaurants, resorts, golf courses, entertainment, and the like); schools, health care facilities, and infrastructure; and cruise line support services.
Point of Contact: Ronald Drinkard, Executive Director; Boyd Campbell, General Counsel
CALIFORNIA
California Consortium for Agricultural Export
Address: 333 Grand Avenue, 25thFloor, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone/Fax: (213) 892-6367/(213) 892-2267
Website: http://www.ccax.com/
Email: sspencer@ccax.com
Geographic Area: Nine Counties in Central California known as the San Joaquin Valley.
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: An agricultural investment program purchasing and converting fallow or row crop lands into permanent commercially viable fruit and/or nut trees and grape vines for the domestic and export markets, wineries, and elevator platform machinery manufacturing.
Point of Contact: Susan Spencer, President; Kelly Spencer, Director of Marketing & Investor Relations
CMB Export LLC
Address: Midwest Executive Offices, 4507 49th Ave. Moline, IL 61265
Phone/fax: 800-238-8022
Website: http://www.cmbeb5visa.com/
Email: Pat@CMBEB5Visa.com
Geographic Area: The development area is related to former military bases located in the counties of Sacramento, San Bernardino and Riverside, CA.
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Export activity related to development of military bases; air cargo, sea port development as export centers.
Point of Contact: Patrick F. Hogan, President, Corona Professional Center, 400 S. Ramona Avenue, Suite 212AA, Corona, CA 91719
El Monte Regional Center
Address: 10501 Valley Blvd., # 1888 El Monte, CA 91731
Website: www.InvestmentImmigrationLaw.com
Point of Contact: Jean Lang, Exec. V.P.
Los Angeles Film Regional Center
Address: CanAm Enterprises, LLC, c/o Thomas Rosenfield, 32 Court Street, Suite 1501, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Website: www.CanAmenterprises.com
Email: tom@canamenterprises.com
Geographic Area: All projects will be located within the set of contiguous census tracts in Los Angeles County designated as a targeted employment area (TEA) by the California Employment Development Department (EDD) acting as the designated state agency by the Governor of the State of California
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Investments in the motion picture and television industry in Los Angeles County, California.
Point of Contact: Thomas Rosenfield
Imperial Regional Center
Address: 150 N. Santa Ana Ave, Ste. 300, Arcadia, CA 91006
Email: linda@lindalau.net
Point of Contact: James Lo, Pacificland International Development Inc. c/o Linda Lau, Esq.
Southeast Los Angeles Regional Center (SELARC)
Address: SELARC Development, LLC, 2440 Hacienda Blvd. # 223, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745
Email: Dbrearly@SELARC.com
Geographic Area: City of Vernon
Focus of Economic Growth Activity: Food products, apparel manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, household furniture and furnishings.
Point of Contact: David B. Brearley, Esq.
California Investment Immigration Fund, LLC
Address: 12688 Chapman Ave. #3313, Garden Grove, CA 92840
Email: china@great-nation.com
Point of Contact: Tat Chan
Regional Center Management – Los Angeles
Address: 270 S. Hanford St, Ste 100, Seattle, WA 98134
Point of Contact: Henry Liebman
Regional Center Properties, Southern California
Address: 5160 Birch Street, Suite 200, New Port Beach, CA 92660
Point of Contact: Mamey, Paparell & Yale-Loehr
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, (WASHINGTON, DC)
Capital Area Regional Center (CARC)
Address: 1801 K Street NW, Suite 201 L, Washington, DC 20006
Phone/Fax: (202) 349-9848; (202) 355-1399
Website: www.cornerstoneia.comGeographic Area: Legal boundaries of the District of Columbia (Washington, DC) and the contiguous adjacent areas of Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia, and the city of Alexandria, VA.
Focus of Economic Growth Activity: Mixed hotel, retail, office and residential space; a soccer stadium; conference center space, and industrial space.
Point of Contact: Michael R. Sears; John Tung
EB-5 America
Address: 1806 11th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
Email: Morris@EB5America.com
Point of Contact: David Morris, Esq.
FLORIDA
Lake Buena Vista Regional Center
Address: 15657 Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando, FL 32821; 1725 University Dr., #420, Coral Springs, FL 33071
Phone/Fax: (407) 238-9301/(407) 238-9716
Website: http://www.eb5greencardusa.com/
Geographic Area: Orange, Osceola, Lake and Seminole Counties.
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Leisure and hospitality
Point of Contact: Samuel Sutton
Palm Beach Regional Center
Address: Phillips Pt., W. Tower, 777 South Fagler Drive, Suite 800, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 644-1717
Website: http://wtcpalmbeach.com/
Email: hadd5353@bellsouth.net
Geographic Area: Palm Beach
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Port and cargo warehousing and distribution center; intermodal traffic and cargo distribution center; manufacturing and research facilities; commercial and office space; film and TV production.
Point of Contact: Luis Haddad, President
HAWAII
DBEDT Hawaii Regional Center
Address: DBEDT, No. 1 Capitol District Bldg, 5th Floor, Diamond Head Wing, 250 South Hotel Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone/Fax: 718-624-7850
Website: http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt
Email: Info@hawaiifund.com
Geographic Area: Within the State of Hawaii
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Tourism (Hawaii’s major export); industries identified as export-related.
Point of Contact: Cy Feng, email: cfeng@dbedt.hawaii.gov; Tom Rosenfield, CanAm Enterprises, LLC, 32 Court Street, Ste 1501, Brooklyn, NY 11201
IOWA
Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED)
Address: 200 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Phone/Fax: (515)242-4700/(515)242-4809
Website: http://www.iowalifechanging.com/
Geographic Area: 77 Rural and Small Urban Counties in Iowa.
Focus of Economic Growth Activity: Dairy farming
Point of Contact: Mike Tramontina, Director
KANSAS
Kansas Bio-Fuel Regional Center, LLC
Address: Kansas Biofuel Regional Center, LLC, 915 Wilshire Boulevard, #2050, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone/Fax: (213) 380-2828/(213) 380-0570
Geographic Area: Twenty-one (21) counties located in the southwest region of the State of Kansas.
Focus of Economic Growth Activity: Building and operation of fuel grade ethanol production facilities within the geographic bounds of the regional center.
Point of Contact: Justin M. Lee and Thomas E. Kent, Esqs.
LOUISIANA
Mayor’s Office of Economic Development (New Orleans)
Address: 3421 N. Causeway Boulevard, Suite 301 New Orleans, LA 70002
Phone/Fax: 504-658-0919
Website: http://www.nobleoutreach.com/
Email: Bhungerford@NobleOutReach.com; Tmilbrath@NobleOutReach.com
Geographic Area: Orleans Parish and the City of New Orleans
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Leasehold Improvements to Fixed Asset Commercial Buildings Sector; Mobile Medical Services Facilities Sector; Commercial Lodging, Hotels, and Hospitality Sector; Mixed-use Real Estate Construction-Reconstruction Sector; Mixed-use Residential Lease and Rental Properties Sector; Arts and Sciences Industry Sector; Harbor Facilities Sector; Gaming and Casinos Sector; and Marine Sector (Commercial Fishing, Processing, Packing, and Shipping Facilities)
Points of Contact: William B. Hungerford Jr., President; Timothy O. Milbrath, V.P.
Noble Coastal Ventures – Louisiana Mississippi Regional Center
Address: 20203 Goshen Rd, Ste 302, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
Email: Bhungerford@NobleOutReach.com; Tmilbrath@NobleOutReach.com
Points of Contact: William B. Hungerford Jr., President; Timothy O. Milbrath, V.P.
Gulf Coast Funds Management, LLC
Address: 202 East State Street, Suite, 700 Ithaca, New York 14850
Point of Contact: Stephen Yale-Loehr; Taylor Berry
NEW YORK
New York City Regional Center, LLC
Address: 299 Broadway Ste 1518 New York, NY 10007
Point of Contact: Paul Levinsohn
PENNSYLVANIA
Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation
Address: 2600 Centre Square West, 1500 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102-2126
Phone/Fax: (215)496-8020; (215)977-9618
Website: http://www.pidc-pa.org/; http://www.canamenterprises.com/
Email: info@www.pidc-pa.org
Geographic Area: Philadelphia County, PA
Focus of Economic Growth Activity: Tourism convention and visitor services through the hotel, restaurant and hospitality industry; commercial office space renovation and leasing; merchandise import and export sales; investment in high-tech start up companies as well as information and bio-tech enterprises; and trucking and warehousing and transportation enterprises.
Point of Contact: Peter Longstreth, President; Thomas Rosenfeld, Attorney
Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development Regional Center
Address: Can Am Enterprises, LLC 32, Court Street, # 1501, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone/Fax: 718-624-7850
Website: www.CanAmenterprises.com
Geographic Area: The contiguous geographic area encompassing the following 23 counties of western Pennsylvania: Erie, Crawford, Mercer, Venango, Lawrence, Butler, Clarion Beaver, Armstrong, Allegheny, Indiana, Westmoreland, Washington, Greene, Fayette, Somerset, Cambria, Blair, Bedford, Warren, Forest, Jefferson and Clearfield. Also, within the above defined contiguous geographic area, the delineated Targeted Employment Areas (TEAs) within the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA); delineated TEAs within the city of Pittsburgh; and delineated TEAs within the Erie and Johnstown, Pennsylvania SMSAs.
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Concentrating on financing projects and developing commercial enterprises in the following eight target industries: Tourism and hospitality; technology; transportation; manufacturing and trade; health services; agriculture and food production; higher education; and leasehold improvements to commercial office & mixed-use spaces.
Points of Contact: Dennis Yablonsky, Secretary or James Rowley, Deputy Secretary Dept. of Community & Economic Development; Thomas Rosenfeld, Esq., President and Chief Executive Officer, CanAm Enterprises, LLC.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Carolina Center for Foreign Investment RC
Address: P.O. Box 2487, 101 N. Main St., #1400, Greenville, SC 29602
Email: Aballew@furmanco.com
Point of Contact: Allen Ballew
SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota International Business Institute Dairy Economic Development Region (SDIBI–DEDR)
Address: 1200 South Jay Street, Aberdeen South Dakota 57401-7198
Phone/Fax: (605) 773-5032; (605) 773-3256
Website: http://www.sd-exports.org/eb-5
Geographic Area: The 44 rural counties in eastern South Dakota.
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Projects to date have included agricultural-related development, in particular establishing dairy farms and a beef processing plant.
Point of Contact: Joop Bollen, Director
TEXAS/OKLAHOMA
Southwest Bio-Fuel Regional Center, LLC (SWBRC)
Address: 915 Wilshire Blvd, Suite #2050, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone/Fax: (213) 380-2898/(213) 380-0570
Geographic Area: The contiguous geographic area encompasses the 40 counties located in the northwest region of Texas, to include Dallam, Sherman, Hansford, Lipscomb, Ociltree, Hartley, Moore, Hutchinson, Roberts, Hemphill, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Wheeler, Deaf Smith, Randall, Armstrong, Donley, Collingsworth, Parmer, Castro, Swisher, Briscoe, Hall, Childress, Hardeman, Bailey, Lamb, Hale, Floyd, Motley, Cottle, Foard, Cochran, Hockley, Lubbock, Crosby, Dickens, and King counties, and 9 counties located in the western region of the State of Oklahoma, to include Cimarron, Texas, Beaver, Ellis, Roger Mills, Beckham, Greer, Harmon, and Jackson.
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: The development and operation of fuel grade ethanol production facilities.
Point of Contact: Justin M. Lee, President and CEO
Global Century Development
Address: 11205 Bellaire Blvd. Suite B-33, 77072-2545, Houston, TX
Email: dnip888@sbcglobal.net
Geographic Area: The contiguous geographic area of Houston’s Chinatown encompassing the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #15 (TIRZ), a 60-block area bounded by Preston Street on the North, Dowling Street on the East, St. Joseph parkway on the South, and Chartres Street on the West.
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Concentrating on financing and developing commercial and mixed-use real estate in the following five target industries: hotel and hospitality; retail; mixed use residential; commercial office; restaurant & entertainment.
Points of Contact: Mr. Dan Nip, President, Global Century Development Group-I, LP; H. Richard Sindelar III, Esq., Tindall & Foster, P.C.
VERMONT
Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
Address: National Life Bldg., Drawer 20, Montpelier, VT 05620
Phone: (802) 828-5202
Website: http://www.dca.state.vt.us/indexnew.html
Geographic Area: State of Vermont
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Export-related companies; tourism, hospitality and commercial resorts development.
Point of Contact: Kevin L. Dorn, Secretary
WASHINGTON
American Life Seattle RC/Golden Rainbow/ Freedom Fund
Address: American Life Inc., 270 S. Hanford St., Ste. 100, Seattle, WA 98134
Phone/fax: 206-624-5622
Website: www.AmLife.us
Email: jo@americanlifeinc.com; henry@americanlifeinc.com
Geographic Area: 1) As Golden Rainbow Freedom Fund, air cargo and manufacturing facility in Jackson County, Oregon; 2) As Gateway: City of Seattle Neighborhood Reinvestment Area in Seattle, Washington
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Air and ocean cargo facilities; and manufacturing; warehouses.
Point of Contact: Henry Liebmann, President – American Life, Inc.
Point of Contact: Henry Liebmann, President – American Life, Inc.
American Life Ventures – Everett, Washington
Address: American Life Inc., 270 S. Hanford St., Ste. 100, Seattle, WA 98134
Website: www.AmLife.us
American Life Ventures – Tacoma, Washington
Address: American Life Inc., 3223 Third Ave., South, Ste. 200, Seattle, WA 98134
Website: www.AmLife.us
Whatcom Opportunities Regional Center, Inc. (WORC, Inc.)
Address: 1305 11th Street Suite 304 Bellingham, WA 98225
Phone: 360-201-3933
Website: http://www.worc.biz/
Email: info@worc.biz
Geographic Area: The legal boundaries which constitute Whatcom County, Washington.
Focus of Economic Growth Activity: Capital investments and job creation in assisted living facilities for the elderly within Whatcom County.
Point of Contact: K. David Andersson, President
Aero-Space Port International Group [ASPI Group]
Address: 1600 Lind Ave. SW, Suite 220, Renton, WA 98055
Phone/fax: 206-241-8000; 243-3000
Website: http://www.aspigroup.com/
Email: Achen@aspicgroup.com
Geographic Area: Within ASPI Group, located at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: High tech, agricultural and other export products to Europe and Pacific Rim countries through international air cargo facilities.
Point of Contact: Andy Chin, Executive Vice President & CFO; Kim Foster, Corporate Counsel
WISCONSIN
Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC)
Address: 756 N. Milwaukee Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone/fax: 414-287-4100
Website: http://www.mmac.org/
Email: Tsheehy@mmac.org
Geographic Area: The seven (7) counties of southeastern Wisconsin: Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha (including Targeted Employment Areas within the cities of Racine and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Focus of Export/Economic Growth Activity: Business and professional services; financial activities and business process services; health services and medical technology; manufacturing; printing and printing support; wholesale trade and distribution; and hospitality and entertainment.
Point of Contact: Timothy R. Sheehy, President; Peter Beitzel, Vice President Metropolitan Milwaukee Assoc. of Commerce
