Bob Kraft, Chairman and CEO of FirstPathway Partners, presented during the annual EB5 Investors Magazine Investment Immigration Convention held Saturday, January 14, 2017. The panel, entitled “Urban vs Rural”, outlined risk analysis from both the investor and manger perspectives, with respect to projects in MSAs (first, second, and third tier cities), down to extreme rural markets. The panel journeyed the gauntlet from initial feasibility through continuing immigration eligibility in a changing landscape. Newly released DHS data finds that 99% of Regional Center investments are in Target Employment Areas (TEA), with 10% of those investments in rurally defined areas.
With the release of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, immigration agents and regional centers alike packed the room to learn more about the potential larger role DHS may play in determining TEAs. DHS analysis would likely have a huge impact on qualifying projects. With no grandfathering contemplated, results could cause devastating outcomes for those investors examining projects which may no longer qualify for the minimum investment threshold under the new DHS proposal.
Over 1,100 immigration attorneys, Regional Centers, migration agents, service providers, and other stakeholders from around the world were in attendance. FirstPathway Partners would like to thank every who joined us for the session and invite others not in attendance to contact us with questions.