In recent months, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has sent notices of intent to terminate (NOITs) to EB-5 regional centers that have not paid the “Integrity Fees” implemented by the 2022 EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA).
Congress introduced these annual Integrity Fees to help pay for many of the new integrity measures, such
在今年5月4日，美国国土安全部在联邦公报(Federal Register)上公布了拟定的新收费提案，征求公众意见。请查看我们之前的博客。该拟定的新收费提案于今年10月24日作为最终案通过，并将在本月(12月)晚些时候正式生效。
从今年12月23日起，递交给美国移民局的多项移民申请，非移民申请，身份调整申请和入籍申请的费用都会上涨。一些常见申请费上调项目请参见下表：
移民局的申请费用将平均上涨21％。然而，从上表可以看出，EB-5类别相关的申请费用上调最高，I-526和I-924的升幅都超过100％，并且推出了新的3,035美元的I-924A表格的申请费用。 EB-5区域中心需要每年提交一份I-924A表格（今年，2016年12月29日），或根据要求证明其继续资格指定，以前没有与此申报相关的费用。
美国移民局自2010年11月以来没有调整过申请费用表。由于移民局的运转的资金完全来源于申请费用，移民局强调费用上调是必要的，以用来支付日益增加的财政开支和人力成本，包括案件审核，欺诈检测，国家安全和客户服务相关的成本。我们希望，随着这些改进也将加快移民局的案件审理时间。
我们建议申请人提前将所有即将提交的文件提交给美国移民局;所有申请必须在2016年12月21日之前寄出，因为2016年12月22日是USCIS接受当前申请费的最后日期。自2016年12月23日起，移民局将拒绝那些没有提供上调后的申请费的申请。
On May 4, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register inviting public comment on a proposed increase in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Fee Schedule, which we previously wrote about. This proposed rule was subsequently adopted as final on Oct. 24, 2016,
On November 10, 2016, Laura Foote Reiff, Bob Maples, and Rebecca Schechter presented an Immigration Post-Election Update webinar highlighting some of the anticipated key changes to U.S. immigration policy (click here to listen to the webinar). President-elect Donald Trump will likely begin the change on current U.S. immigration policy as soon as he
The White House has just released a new report titled “Modernizing & Streamlining our Legal Immigration System for the 21st Century,” which builds on the President’s executive actions of Nov. 21, 2014. This report provides for plans to improve the immigration system to modernize and streamline the processes for certain visa categories and to address security issues. The report also calls for plans to strengthen the United States’ humanitarian system by providing benefits for certain individuals.
The report specifically addresses the EB-5 program in important ways. The White House acknowledges that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has undergone significant changes in an effort to enhance the program’s processes and to improve its integrity, including the creation of a new team with expertise in economic analysis and specific EB-5 components, as well as the issuance of updated policy guidance to provide better clarity as to program requirements.
The White House recognizes that there is a need for additional enhancements and improvements to address the integrity and impact of the EB-5 program. Specifically, the White House recommends additional measures including enhancements to avoid fraud, abuse, and criminal activity; measures to ensure that the program is reaching its full potential in terms of job creation and economic growth; and recommendations to streamline the program to make it efficient and stable for participants in the program, including petitioners and Regional Centers.
Continue Reading White House Releases ‘Modernizing & Streamlining Our Legal Immigration System for the 21st Century’
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced bi-partisan legislation to extend and improve the job-creating immigrant investor visa program, known as EB-5, which is set to expire in September. The American Job Creation and Investment Promotion Reform Act would reauthorize the EB-5 Regional Center program for five years and add measures to improve the program’s integrity.
We now have bi-partisan bills introduced in both the House and Senate. The bill will, among other things:
Continue Reading Bi-Partisan Legislation Introduced in the Senate
On Jan. 13, 2015, USCIS established a webpage which lists the EB-5 regional centers which have had their designations terminated. The full webpage can be accessed here. This is a strong and important step from USCIS to help eradicate fraud and abuse in the EB-5 regional center program, as well as to terminate regional