Follow EmpireStateEB5 on Twitter
Follow EmpireStateEB5 on Twitter 1. 2.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

USCIS EB-5 Engagement on December 3, 2012

(Source: USCIS)

 "Dear Stakeholder,

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites interested parties to participate in a conversation with USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas regarding the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program on Monday, December 3, 2012 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern). During the engagement, Director Mayorkas will discuss EB-5 policy and procedural issues and take questions from participants.  

To Participate in the Session:
You may attend this engagement either in person or by teleconference. However, those attending via phone will be in listen-only mode. If you wish to attend in person, attendance is limited to the first 100 people who register. To register, please email the Public Engagement Division no later than Friday, November 30, 2012 at Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov.

If you plan to attend in person, please reference “EB-5 Conversation – In Person”
If you plan to attend by phone, please reference “EB-5 Conversation – Phone”

To Join the Session:
Following registration, we will confirm your attendance in person or by telephone. If you are attending in person, please be sure to bring photo identification and arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow extra time to complete the security process. If you are attending by phone, please use the information below to join the session.

Call-in Number: 1-888-324-8192
Passcode: EB5
 
Kind Regards,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services" 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

US Banks Pummeled by Low Rates



An article in the Wall Street Journal dated October 23, 2012 stated that due to the current “superlow” interest rates in the United States, the Banking Industry is experiencing its lowest net profit margin in three years.  


The eroded net profit margin (which tracks how much banks earn on funds borrowed from depositors which are in turn lent or invested) has caused sliding lending profits, causing banks to close branches, weigh additional fees and roll back customer favorites, such as free checking.  The average margin for the industry’s largest banks is at 3.12%, the lowest since 2Q 2009.  


Over time, these downsized profits are likely to accelerate a downsizing process that has halved the number of insured institutions over the past two decades.  The spread between banks’ deposits and lending rates has narrowed in part because of low Federal Reserve-influenced rates and decreased demand for loans amid the soft economic growth.  As their higher-yielding loans mature, banks are being forced to replace them with assets that carry much lower rates.  If interest rates begin to rise, these new loans may prove to be unprofitable. 


Higher costs for banking services could push more people out of the financial system altogether, adding to the millions of customers already considered as lacking access to affordable financial services.  




Contact Empire State EB5 to discuss how EB5 financing can work for your next project.



CONTACT US TODAY!


2815 Monroe Avenue, Suite 2100
Rochester, New York 14618
Tel: (866) 763-6515



Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Latest on the imminent Chinese EB-5 visas numbers for 2013


According to Charles Oppenheim, the Chief of Visa Controls and Reporting Division at the U.S. Department of State spoke at a recent IIUSA conference in Washington D.C., if the current growth trajectory continues for Chinese EB-5 investors investing in the EB-5 regional center programs, he anticipates that the issuance of Green Cards to Chinese investors will be suspended in the second half of 2013.

On a side note, the Chinese are the leading source of overseas students in the United States and only looks to increase. Besides receiving a green card, many EB-5 investors coming from this region are not only looking at colleges for their children, but more and more are looking to leave China to get their children in grammar schools in the United States.
(Great article in USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/11/14/china-leadership/1704551/)

Here’s how the Visa Bulletin For December 2012 from the Department of State explains it:
The following advisory is based strictly on the current demand situation. Since demand patterns can (and sometimes do) change over time, this should be considered a worst case scenario at this point.
It appears likely that a cut-off date will need to be established for the China Employment Fifth preference category at some point during second half of fiscal year 2013 [i.e., April to September 2013]. Such action would be delayed as long as possible, since while number use may be excessive over a 1 to 5 month period, it could average out to an acceptable level over a longer (e.g., 4 to 9 month) period. This would be the first time a cut-off date has been established in this category, which is why readers are being provided with the maximum amount of advance notice regarding the possibility.
The above projection[ ] [is] for what could happen during … the next few months based on current applicant demand patterns. The determination of the actual monthly cut-off dates is subject to fluctuations in applicant demand and a number of other variables which can change at any time.

Read full article here: Visa Bulletin For December 2012



Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Sandy RAVAGES Tri-state area, but cant hold up progress on Cancer Proton Center


Empire State EB5 Regional Center was down in New York City last week and the drive through the city was disastrous. With down power lines, roads washed out, and lack of gasoline still could not stall the progress on a Proton Cancer Treatment Center project. Empire State EB5 along with state and county officials met to finalize the details on the $83 million dollar facility which is slated to begin in early 2013. With this new state of the art, innovative technology it will be one of eleven facilities implemented in the United States. The treatment center will benefit many individuals, with its main focus on children and underserved communities. Proton treatment is especially important when treating children because protons help reduce radiation to growing and developing tissues.

What is Proton Treatment? - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=protonthera




Contact Empire State EB5 to discuss how EB5 financing can be a part your next project development:
CONTACT US TODAY!

2815 Monroe Avenue, Suite 2100
Rochester, New York 14618
Tel: (866) 763-6515
 
 
 

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Webinar from IIUSA regarding Regional Centers 2012 Annual Reporting (Form I-924A)




(Source: IIUSA) Regional Centers don't forget to get your I-924A completed and submitted to USCIS by December 29, 2012. Join IIUSA on 11/9 for a webinar regarding Regional Centers 2012 Annual Reporting (Form I-924A).

SIGN UP HERE -  http://iiusablog.org/events/iiusa-host-119-webinar-regional-centers-2012-annual-reporting-form-i924a/




Follow EmpireStateEB5 on Twitter