Exciting EB-5 U.S. Visa Opportunities

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida - October 27, 2011
 
The Florida Regional Center will be holding exciting EB-5 Seminars across Mainland China to discuss the benefits and opportunities that the EB-5 program presents foreign nationals. 

The Florida Regional Center would like to invite you and your family to one of the many EB-5 Visa seminars we are scheduled to speak at in the upcoming weeks. The team of Florida Regional Center EB-5 experts and staff will educate future investors on the benefits and nuances of this U.S. Visa Program. Below is the schedule of select cities where the Florida Regional Center Executive Team will be engaging in meetings and seminars:

Shanghai                  October 27-29
Shenzhen                 October 30
Dongguan                 October 31 – November 1
Beijing                       November 2 – 4
Chengdu                   November 5
Guangzhou               November 6
Shanghai                  November 7
Shenzhen                 November 7 – 11
Guangzhou               November 8 – 14
Shanghai                  November 20 – 21

*Private meetings available November 14 – 19. Dates To Be Determined.

The EB-5 program allows foreign nationals to invest in United States, USCIS Approved, projects that stimulate the U.S. economy. EB-5 participants will make an investment of $500,000 to $1,000,000 USD into a U.S. project that will create at least 10 jobs for U.S. citizens from the said investment. In return, the investor will receive a return on their investment, as well as a conditional United States Green Card. This can be obtained for yourself, your spouse, and any unmarried children up to 21 years of age. More information on the EB-5 visa can be found at www.flregionalcenter.com.

The seminars will highlight details of the Harbourside Place Project, which is currently being funded by EB-5 investments. The development is under construction and is set on the East Coast of Florida by the Atlantic Ocean. The facility will feature an entertainment plaza and outdoor amphitheater, retail space, restaurants and eateries, office sites, 4-star hotel accommodations and marina slips. Harbourside Place is projected to create more than 2,400 jobs over the next three years and will provide exceptional economic stimulus for the region.

The seminars will be presented by Nicholas Mastroianni, among other FRC executives, and time will be allotted for any questions that investors may have about investing with the Florida Regional Center and the United States EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Program.

In an interview with Nicholas Mastroianni, he stated, “these seminars and meetings provide the opportunity for us to engage with potential investors who are interested in investing in our current EB-5 projects in order to successfully obtain their EB-5 Visa” he went on to state “we want to give each of our clients the opportunity to ask detailed questions and fully understand the EB-5 process, as well as the investment project they are getting involved with.”

For those of you who are interested in attending the event, but are not currently signed up to attend, please contact us or e-mail Nicholas at info@flregionalcenter.com to get the specifics on where the seminars are being conducted.

Florida Regional Center executives will also be available to anyone who would like to have private one-on-one meeting.  Please inquire by directly e-mailing Nicholas at info@flregionalcenter.com.

About Florida Regional Center:
The Florida Regional Center provides worthwhile opportunities for foreign investors and their families to obtain permanent U.S. residency through the EB-5 Visa Program. Just as Florida offers the ideal climate for business and pleasure, the Florida Regional Center provides the perfect opportunity for international investors and their families to obtain green cards by investing in exciting Florida Regional Center projects. For more information on the Florida Regional Center, please visit our website at www.flregionalcenter.com.

Contact:
Nicholas Mastroianni
Florida Regional Center
Phone: +001-561-799-0027
E-mail: info@flregionalcenter.com

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Florida Regional Center Sponsors IIUSA Fundraiser

September 19, 2011

The Florida Regional Center is proud to be a sponsor for the IIUSA Permanent EB-5 Fundraiser as an EB-5 Regional Center Program Champion. The Association to Invest In the USA (IIUSA) is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit industry trade association of active EB-5 Regional Centers ("Regional Centers"), attorneys, and other EB-5 related service providers. This October 21, 2011 fundraiser will navigate through new challenges facing regional centers and building sound practice when working with the EB-5 Program and it’s participants.   The proceeds from this event will be put to use in formulating an effort to make the EB-5 Regional Center Program a permanent Visa option.

The program was designed by Congress in 1990 to encourage investment by foreign nationals in the United States.  In exchange for investments of either  $1,000,000 or $500,000 USD in jobs that create 10 or more American jobs, investors will receive the opportunity to obtain their U.S. Greencard.

Unless Congress votes to continue the EB-5 Program, it will expire September 9, 2012.  The program has created an abundance of jobs for the American economy over the past two decades and has resulted in the realization of the American Dream for thousands of foreign investors and their families.

The Florida Regional Center is committed to having the EB-5 program continue to grow at its current pace to help create American jobs. With the continuation of this essential program, the Florida Regional Center looks to further fund worthwhile South Florida businesses and projects to support the reviving of the American economy.  Support of this program is a significant portion of the rebuilding of the American and Global economy; let your government officials know where you stand on the matter of making the program a permanent fixture of the US immigration program.


For more information on the Florida Regional Center or the EB-5 program, please visit our website here: www.flregionalcenter.com.

Harbourside Place Construction Update

October 17, 2011

Phase one has now been completed on schedule and budget just in time to begin phase two of construction at Harbourside Place in Jupiter, Florida.  The team recently finished work on the public access dock located on the North side of the property.  The dock is approximately 175 feet in length and will give boaters access to the facility who come from the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean.   Crews also finished the work on the seawall, giving it a final spray coating of the protective material.  The crews of workers also continue to work on the new roadway to anticipate more substantial traffic from Harbourside Place.

Looking down the entrance to the new Harbourside Place public docks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking North on the new dock.

Looking south on the new dock

Construction workers on US-1 continuing on road construction

View of Harbourside Place looking North from the Indiantown Road drawbridge

 For EB-5 Investment opportunities in Harbourside Place and other Florida Regional Center Projects, please visit http://www.visaeb-5.com/. Subscribe to our blog for weekly construction updates and photos or follow us on Twitter @eb5palmbeach for the most up to date information.

Is EB-5 Right For Me?

Every day foreign nationals ask the question “Is the EB-5 Visa the right way for my family and myself to gain access to the United States?” and for good reason, as the sea of potential visas to gain citizenship into the United States is vast. Every Visa has its pros and cons, so let’s take the opportunity to take a look at the EB-5 Visa’s pros and cons list.

Pros
The EB-5 Visa has many pros as to why it is the solution to your immigration needs:
Fastest Visa turn around

• When compared to other Visa opportunities, you can get your EB-5 the fastest and start living in America sooner than any other

High success rate

• A high percentage of applicants to the Visa program succeed in obtaining their permanent US Green Card

Can gain access for the entire family (Spouse and unmarried children under 21) with a single investment
Can pick the project you will invest in

•  Investing in projects like Harbourside Place enable the investor a transparent investment with fair and agreeable terms

Help create jobs in your new country of residence

• With every investment, projects are required to create 10 jobs, helping to create economic stimulus in the local and regional area

Cons
The EB-5 Program has a limited amount of cons
Must pick a project that best suits your investment needs

• Some projects are more desirable than others, so picking the perfect one for you and your family is crucial, this can be a tedious process.

Requires Monetary Investment

•  To obtain your EB-5 Visa, you must  put up a principal investment of $500,000 or $1,000,000

Project must create 10 jobs with principal* investment to obtain permanent US Green Card

•  Some projects will create more jobs than others, the Florida Regional Center prides itself on picking projects that will create an abundance of jobs

While there are many ways to obtain your dream of living in the United States, the EB-5 presents an opportunity like no other available today.  You not only gain access into a country with one of the highest living standards in the world, but you gain access to world-class education, medical care, and social programs.  Start your family on the track to becoming a citizen of the United States of America and to living the American Dream.

With a market that is becoming more and more saturated with EB-5 offerings, you need to invest with a company that has the knowledge, expertise, and partnerships to help you succeed in obtaining your EB-5 Visa and United States Residency.  The Florida Regional Center prides itself on offering strong projects, and the overall knowledge to walk you through every phase of the immigration process.  We are dedicated to continuously updating our investors with the progress of our projects through blog updates, photos, videos, interviews, and media coverage.  We believe in making this experience as transparent and easy as possible for every investor who chooses to invest with one of our outstanding projects.

To learn even more about the EB-5 Program or current Florida Regional Center project opportunities, please contact us today!

ESI Jupiter Technology Park Update

October 7, 2011

Florida Regional Center's EB-5 project, ESI Jupiter Technology Park, received an approval by the Town of Jupiter to obtain a  loan guarantee.  This story was published by the Palm Beach Post Newspaper:

Jupiter approves loan to help New Zealand business open office here
JUPITER — Approval was given Tuesday night by the council for the town to guarantee a $300,000 loan to Endeavour Strategic Investments Florida LLC.
The loan guarantee comes from a $3 million fund approved by the town in 2006 to attract biotech businesses to north county. If New Zealand-based ESI does not pay its bank loan, Jupiter must repay the money.
ESI, which is required to open its office in Jupiter, is considering an office near Harbourside, a $150 million proposed retail/marina project at the northwest corner of U.S. 1 and Indiantown Road.
Harbourside developers are also using the federal EB-5 program to raise investment money. EB-5 lets foreign nationals and their families gain U.S. citizenship in about two years in exchange for a $500,000 investment. The vote was 4-1 with Vice Mayor Jim Kuretski dissenting.

The ESI Jupiter Technology Park will be home to a 50,000 sq foot facility that will house companies from around the world.  These companies will be in the fields of biotechnology and research, working in areas which include non-invasive diabetes detection, clinical diagnostic technology, water efficiency systems, anti-cancer compounds and advanced manufacturing and ICT systems.  To learn more about investing in this project or other Florida Regional Center EB-5 offerings, please visit our  EB-5 website.

Florida Regional Center Educates Chinese Investors on the EB5 Program

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hong Kong & China - October 4, 2011 

 

The Florida Regional Center has recently completed another tour of China to educate future investors on the benefits of investing with an EB5 project. Furthermore, the team of EB5 experts offers their expertise to help investors navigate through the many projects on the market today.

Team members from the Florida Regional Center conducted many successful seminars in China over the previous two weeks. EB-5 expert and President of the Florida Regional Center, Nick Mastroianni II, traveled throughout China educating investors on the many benefits of the EB-5 program.  

The EB-5 Visa Program allows foreign investors to obtain their US Green Card by investing $500,000, or $1,000,000, into a qualified United States investment project that will create at least 10 American jobs per investment.

The EB-5 Visa Program is one of the most flexible immigration programs in the world, allowing foreigners to gain permanent United States residency for themselves, their spouse, and all children under the age of 21, through a single EB-5 investment.
 

The cities visited included Huangzhou, Wuxi, Beijing and Guangzhou. More than 150 interested investors participated in these seminars with the intention of immigrating to the United States. 

The team also discussed the opportunity to invest in the EB5 project, Harbourside Place. Currently under construction, Harbourside Place is a mixed-use development located on Jupiter’s Riverwalk that, once completed, will become Jupiter’s CBD Downtown. The uses of the project include luxury retail shops and restaurants, a four-star hotel and conference center, public and private marinas, a state-of-the-art amphitheater, government and professional offices and a cultural component.

Harbourside Place

Utilizing $80 Million in EB-5 funding, for the $144 Million Project, Harbourside Place is projected to create more than 2,400 jobs over the next two years. The project is slated for completion October 2013.

For those of you who are interested in attending an upcoming event, but are not currently signed up to attend, please contact us or e-mail at info@flregionalcenter.com to get the specifics on where the seminars are being conducted.

About Florida Regional Center:

The Florida Regional Center provides worthwhile opportunities for foreign investors and their families to obtain permanent U.S. residency through the EB-5 Visa Program. Just as Florida offers the ideal climate for business and pleasure, the Florida Regional Center provides the perfect opportunity for international investors and their families to obtain green cards by investing in exciting Florida Regional Center projects. For more information on the Florida Regional Center, please visit our website at www.visaeb-5.com.

Contact:

Nicholas Mastroianni II

Manager

Florida Regional Center

Phone: +1-561-799-0027

E-mail: info@flregionalcenter.com

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Florida Regional Center Construction Photo Update

October 3, 2011

An abundance of progress has been made at the Harbourside Place construction site.  The seawall panels, bulkhead cap, and demucking and back-filling have all been completed.  The crews are now focusing their attention on the public access docks and boat slips.  All of the pilings are now in place and the crews are now installing the supports and walkway for the dock.  Work is also continuing on the new infrastructure of Highway US1, in anticipation of higher traffic demands. Please take a look at the photos of the construction progress below.

Expansive New Public Docks for Harbourside Place

The End of the Seawall Construction

Finished Bulkhead Cap On the New Seawall

Work Continues on Highway US1 To Allow For Higher Future Traffic

More Construction on US1

For EB-5 Investment opportunities in Harbourside Place and other Florida Regional Center Projects, please visit http://www.visaeb-5.com/. Subscribe to our blog for weekly construction updates and photos or follow us on Twitter @eb5palmbeach for the most up to date information.

Florida Regional Center Travels to Moscow to Discuss EB5 Visa Program

Moscow, Russia- September 25, 2011

EB5 promoters of the Florida Regional Center recently traveled to Moscow to meet with 11 families interested in immigrating to the United States through the EB-5 Investment Visa Program.

Team members from the FRC held individual investor meetings to ensure each family’s questions and concerns were fully answered.  An in-depth explanation of the project, Harbourside Place, was given. After hearing all of the benefits that the EB5 program has to offer and the solid investment that Harbourside Place presents, investors expressed interest in continuing the application process.

The proper paperwork was completed and a number of the families have been successfully approved into the Florida Regional Center’s EB-5 program. They look forward to receiving their green cards and giving their children the opportunity to live and study in the United States.

Give your family the opportunity to live their own American Dream, by contacting the Florida Regional Center to learn more about our EB5 project offerings and the investment opportunities that they present.

Investor Families Visit Florida Regional Center Palm Beach Headquarters

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida- September 21, 2011

Investors from France, Russia, and Mexico, who have recently subscribed to invest in the Harbourside Project, were invited to the Florida Regional Center’s headquarters in Florida last week to discuss their EB-5 investment. 

A thorough explanation was presented to everyone regarding the project, Harbourside Place, and its recent developments with construction and milestones that have been successfully reached. This opportunity allowed investors to ask any questions or concerns they may have regarding the project, the immigration process and life in the USA. 

Afterwards, the investors and their families were given a guided tour of the Harbourside Place development and the surrounding cities of Jupiter and Palm Beach, Florida. This allowed the investors to see the progress made and visualize the completed project that is soon to come. Investors and their families spent the weekend soaking up the sun, as well as all the culture that Jupiter has to offer. With one of the most diverse cultures in the world, South Florida is an extended home of almost every nationality.  

We look forward to hosting many more families in the coming months, in order to show them what a superb project Harbourside Place is to invest in, but furthermore, show them why South Florida is such a fantastic place to call home.  If you are interested in setting up a meeting to discuss the EB5 program or the Harbourside Place Project, please do not hesitate to contact us today!

Upcoming Florida Regional Center EB5 Seminars

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hong Kong and Beijing, China - September 20, 2011

The Florida Regional Center will be holding major EB-5 Seminars to discuss the benefits and opportunities that the EB5 program presents. The expert team will be holding seminars in Hong Kong and Beijing.

The Florida Regional Center would like to invite you and your family to one of the many EB-5 Visa seminars we are scheduled to speak at in the upcoming weeks. The team of Florida Regional Center EB-5 experts and staff will educate future investors on the benefits and nuances of this U.S. Visa Program. Below is the schedule of select cities where the Florida Regional Center President, Nicholas Mastroianni II, will be presenting EB-5 Seminars.

Hong Kong                           September 22-25
Beijing                                 September 26-28

The EB-5 program allows foreigners to invest in United States, USCIS Approved, projects that stimulate the U.S. economy. EB-5 participants will make an investment of $500,000 to $1,000,000 USD into a U.S. project that will create at least 10 jobs for U.S. citizens from the said investment. In return, the investor will receive a return on their investment, as well as a conditional United States Green Card. This can be obtained for yourself, your spouse, and any unmarried children up to 21 years of age. More information on the EB-5 visa can be found on www.flregionalcenter.com.

The seminars will highlight the details of the Harbourside Place Project, which is currently being funded by EB-5 investments. The development is currently under construction and is set on the East Coast of Florida by the Atlantic Ocean. The facility will feature an entertainment plaza and outdoor amphitheatre, retail space, restaurants and eateries, office sites, hotel accommodations and marina slips. Harbourside Place is projected to create more than 2,400 jobs over the next three years and will provide exceptional economic stimulus for the region.

Nicholas Mastroianni II, stated, “There will be a great deal of activity at these seminars, and we hope to inform these future investors of all the benefits the EB-5 program has to offer, as well as the opportunities presented by investing in Harbourside Place.”

The seminars will be presented by Nicholas Mastroianni II, among other FRC executives, and they will take time for any questions that investors may have about investing with the Florida Regional Center and the EB-5 Immigration Visa Program.

For those of you who are interested in attending the event, but are not currently signed up to attend, please contact us or e-mail Nicholas at info@flregionalcenter.com to get the specifics on where the seminar is being conducted.

Florida Regional Center executives will remain in these cities after the seminars and will be available to anyone who would like to have private one-on-one meetings.  Please inquire by directly e-mailing Nicholas at info@flregionalcenter.com.

About Florida Regional Center:
The Florida Regional Center provides worthwhile opportunities for foreign investors and their families to obtain permanent U.S. residency through the EB-5 Visa Program. Just as Florida offers the ideal climate for business and pleasure, the Florida Regional Center provides the perfect opportunity for international investors and their families to obtain green cards by investing in exciting Florida Regional Center projects. For more information on the Florida Regional Center, please visit our website at www.flregionalcenter.com

Contact:
Nicholas Mastroianni II
President
Florida Regional Center
Phone: +001-561-799-0027
E-mail: info@flregionalcenter.com

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Florida Regional Center's September EB5 Newsletter

September 20, 2011

The Florida Regional Center is proud to bring you the first edition of our monthly newsletter. We will be sending this out on a monthly frequency to communicate our progress and events with current and future investors, key partners, and the local, state, and national government.  Be sure to send us a request to be added to the monthly newsletter by filing out a Contact Us Form or simply send us a request at info@flregionalcenter.com to be added to the distribution list.   See the link below to download and view the newsletter.

The Florida Regional Center Brings the American Dream to China

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Palm Beach County – Jupiter, FL - September 16, 2011

The Florida Regional Center has finished an extended tour of Mainland China and Hong Kong speaking about the EB-5 Program at numerous seminars and investor meetings across Asia.

After speaking at 26 Seminars, more than 100 investor meetings, and 14 educational EB-5 training sessions, the Florida Regional Center has grounded its EB-5 roots in Asia. The recent seven-week tour in Asia allowed the team to create awareness about the many benefits of the EB-5 program and why now is the ideal time to apply for the United States EB-5 Visa Program. 

The EB-5 Visa Program allows foreign investors to obtain their US Green Card by investing $500,000, or $1,000,000, into a qualified United States investment project that will create at least 10 American jobs per investment.

The EB-5 Visa Program is one of the most flexible immigration programs in the world, allowing foreigners to gain permanent United States residency for themselves, their spouse, and all children under the age of 21, through a single EB-5 investment.

*Terms and finance conditions of investments vary by project. Investors must also satisfy all USCIS requirements to obtain a US Green Card.

Recent EB-5 Seminar

Nicholas Mastroianni III, Director of International Operations for the Florida Regional Center, led the expert EB-5 team. They were able to secure more than $10 million USD of funding for the EB-5 project Harbourside Place. This came from the signing of 21 investors in the past 45 days who are looking to begin their American Dream. 

Currently under construction, Harbourside Place is a mixed-use development located on Jupiter’s Riverwalk that, once completed, will become Jupiter’s CBD Downtown. The uses of the project include luxury retail shops and restaurants, a four-star hotel and conference center, public and private marinas, a state-of-the-art amphitheater, government and professional offices and a cultural component.

“This project is going to create a much needed Town Center for Jupiter, Florida” stated FRC President Nicholas Mastroianni II, “and in return, it will also stimulate an abundance of jobs for the local and surrounding economy.”

Utilizing $80 Million in EB-5 funding, for the $144 Million Project, Harbourside Place is projected to create more than 2,400 jobs over the next two years. The project is slated for completion October 2013. 

About Florida Regional Center:

The Florida Regional Center provides worthwhile opportunities for foreign investors and their families to obtain permanent U.S. residency through the EB-5 Visa Program. Just as Florida offers the ideal climate for business and pleasure, the Florida Regional Center provides the perfect opportunity for international investors and their families to obtain green cards by investing in exciting Florida Regional Center projects. For more information on the Florida Regional Center, please visit our website at www.FLRegionalCenter.com.

Contact:

Nicholas Mastroianni III

Director of International Operations

Florida Regional Center

Phone: +1-561-799-0027

E-mail: nicholas@flregionalcenter.com

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USCIS Begins Implementation of Proposed Enhancements

September 16, 2011

A recent announcement by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will pave the way for new and improved processing of the EB-5 applicants. The announcement follows below:

USCIS is implementing the first phase in a series of proposed enhancements to the EB-5 program.  Beginning today, Form I-924 applicants will be able to communicate directly with USCIS adjudicators via e-mail in an effort to streamline the process and quickly raise and resolve issues and questions that arise during the adjudication process.  The Form I-924 is the Application for Regional Center Under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program.  Information on how direct e-mail communication will work can be found in our Questions and Answers document.
USCIS intends to monitor the progress of this new line of communication to assess whether changes are needed and to implement any required changes on a real-time basis.  If you have feedback in response to your use of the direct line of communication for the Form I-924, please submit your comments to opefeedback@uscis.dhs.gov.
USCIS is eager to implement all of the proposed enhancements to the EB-5 program that it first announced on May 19, 2011.  USCIS is currently exploring how it can accelerate the implementation of premium processing, which customarily takes months due to the need to revise the applicable forms.  USCIS is currently hiring economists and other experts that will enhance and accelerate the adjudication process and also help constitute the Decision Board that was first described on May 19.
Implementation of enhancements to the EB-5 program is a high priority for USCIS.  Director Alejandro Mayorkas will provide more information about the status of the proposed enhancements and other action items for this program in his first Conversation with the Director this Wednesday, September 14, and in the national stakeholder engagement on Thursday, September 15.

There are three new enhancements that will help the EB-5 applicant process, these include:

Proposed Step 1: Accelerated and Premium Processing of “Shovel-Ready” Cases
This will allow the USCIS to prioritize I-526 (EB-5 Investors application) applicants who are investing in “Shovel-Ready” business projects (i.e. projects that have necessary approvals and are ready for construction or are ready to begin business once funding is secured)

Proposed Step 2: Specialized Intake Teams for I-924 Applications, with Direct Customer Access
This step will give the USCIS the manpower necessary to review all of the I-924 (Regional Center application) applicants in a timely manner, thus speeding along the process.

Proposed Step 3: Enhanced Decision Process for I-924 Applications, with Option for In- Person or Telephonic Interview
This new step will give a board of distinguished individuals the authority to approve or deny a regional center’s validity in a timely manner.

The Florida Regional Center has already received their I-924 approval and is a recognized regional center by the USCIS. The FRC currently has one “shovel-ready” project, Harbourside Place in Jupiter, Florida, allowing your application to invest to move to the top of the list. For EB-5 Investment opportunities in Harbourside Place and other Florida Regional Center Projects, please visit http://www.visaeb-5.com/. Subscribe to our blog for weekly EB-5 updates or follow us on Twitter @eb5palmbeach for the most up to date information.

Construction Update at Harbourside Place

September 16, 2011

The construction crew has made substantial progress on this phase since the last update, with construction of the seawall at Harbourside Place almost complete.  They have one final pour of 250 linear feet of concrete left and look to have this in place and cured by the end of next week.  Today, the crew installed 10 timber pilings for the dock and look to have all piling installations completed by the end of next week.  They will then look to complete the dock system by installing the joists and stringers. Photos and descriptions follow below.

The final bulkhead cap has been poured on more than 75% of the seawall for Harbourside Place

The crew continues to install timber pilings for the new marina at Harbourside Place

Crews continue to work on the new roadway for the anticipated rise in traffic for Harbourside Place

View of the project from the Indiantown drawbridge

View of the project from the other side of the Intracoastal Waterway

For EB-5 Investment opportunities in Harbourside Place and other Florida Regional Center Projects, please visit http://www.visaeb-5.com/. Subscribe to our blog for weekly construction updates and photos or follow us on Twitter @eb5palmbeach for the most up to date information.

Use the EB-5 Program To Give Your Children an Opportunity to Attend a Prestigious University

With the world market becoming more and more competitive every year, it is essential for individuals to increase their training or education in order to compete for available jobs these days.  Higher education has become the cornerstone of the present day American Society, with the United States being home to 7 of the top 11 ranked universities in the world.  

1. Harvard University (USA)

2. University of Cambridge (UK)

3. Yale University (USA)

4. University College London (UK)

5. Princeton University (USA)

6. Imperial College London (UK)

7. University of Oxford (UK)

8. University of Chicago (USA)

9. Massachusetts Institute of Tech (USA)

10. California Institute of Tech (USA)  

11. Stanford University (USA)

Foreigners are coming to the United States to attend these prominent universities and because of this, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to obtain U.S. Student Visas.  The EB-5 program presents the perfect opportunity for foreign investors to send their children to prestigious American Universities and not have to worry about obtaining a Student Visa. With an investment in an EB-5 project, families can obtain their U.S. Green Card for their husband or wife and any children under 21 years old.  With this new U.S. citizenship, your children will have access to any of the thousands of American universities spread across the United States.  As an American Citizen, these universities will often be available at lower tuition rates than those available to non-citizens.   Also, as an American Citizen you will also have access to financial aid from both Federal Government backed student loans and grants, as well as private student loans.   As compared to a U.S. Student Visa, the EB-5 Visa will allow you to become a full time citizen and also will give the opportunity to work full or part time while attending a U.S. university.

You can also learn more about EB-5 investments and the Harbourside Place by visiting our webpage.  Get updates on where the Florida Regional Center will be hosting their next seminars by subscribing to our blog or following us on Twitter @eb5palmbeach.

Harbourside Place Aerial Site Photos

September 11, 2011

Take a look at our new aerial site photos taken this week.  These photos show the continued progression of the seawall construction. (Compare to our aerial shots taken on 8/8/11.) We will have more photos of onsite construction later this week.

Looking NE onto the project

 

 

 

Looking SW onto the project

Looking S onto the project

For EB-5 Investment opportunities in Harbourside Place and other Florida Regional Center Projects, please visit http://www.visaeb-5.com/. Subscribe to our blog for weekly construction updates and photos or follow us on Twitter @eb5palmbeach for the most up to date information.

Wealthy Chinese Wish Lists

September 7, 2011

Residents of developing countries continue to look for new havens in the industrialized world.  This recent article discusses Chinese Residents that are realizing what they need to do to ensure security for their wealth and for the education of their children.  This is an example of one of the many types of clients that we at the Florida Regional Center advise in the EB-5 Program process.   Please read the below article from the Associated Press, which brings these new needs and desires to light.

Top of Chinese wealthy’s wish list? To leave China

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese millionaire Su builds skyscrapers in Beijing and is one of the people powering China’s economy on its path to becoming the world’s biggest.
He sits at the top of a country — economy booming, influence spreading, military swelling — widely expected to dominate the 21st century.
Yet the property developer shares something surprising with many newly rich in China: he’s looking forward to the day he can leave.
Su’s reasons: He wants to protect his assets, he has to watch what he says in China and wants a second child, something against the law for many Chinese.
The millionaire spoke to The Associated Press on condition that only his surname was used because of fears of government reprisals that could damage his business.
China’s richest are increasingly investing abroad to get a foreign passport, to make international business and travel easier but also to give them a way out of China.
The United States is the most popular destination for Chinese emigrants, with rich Chinese praising its education and healthcare systems. Last year, nearly 68,000 Chinese-born people became legal permanent residents of the U.S., seven percent of the total and second only to those born in Mexico. Canada and Australia are also popular.
It is a bothersome trend for China’s communist leaders who’ve pinned the legitimacy of one-party rule on delivering rapid economic growth and a rising standard of living. They’ve succeeded in lifting tens of millions of ordinary Chinese out of poverty while also creating a new class of super rich. Yet affluence alone seems a poor bargain to those with the means to live elsewhere.
Despite more economic freedom, the communist government has kept its tight grip on many other aspects of daily life. China’s leaders punish, sometimes harshly, public dissent and any perceived challenges to their power, and censor what can be read online and in print. Authoritarian rule, meanwhile, has proved ineffective in addressing long standing problems of pollution, contaminated food and a creaking health care system.
“In China, nothing belongs to you. Like buying a house. You buy it but it will belong to the country 70 years later,” said Su, lamenting the government’s land leasing system.
“But abroad, if you buy a house, it belongs to you forever,” he said. “Both businessmen and government officials are like this. They worry about the security of their assets.”
Leo Liu, marketing manager at Beijing emigration consultants Goldlink, said the company has noticed an increasing trend of rich Chinese wanting to emigrate, particularly to Canada, in the 15 years since it was founded.
The main reasons people want to move abroad, he said, are their children’s education and for better healthcare. Some want to leave because they got their money illegally, such as corrupt government officials and businesspeople, while others are inspired by friends who have already emigrated to the U.S.
“They want to get a green card even though they may still do business here in China,” Liu said. “They might have sent their wife and children abroad.
“And some of them just love life in a foreign country, the Western style,” he said.
There is also a yawning gap between rich and poor in China, which feeds a resentment that makes some of the wealthy uncomfortable. The country’s uneven jump to capitalism over the last three decades has created dozens of billionaires, but China barely ranks in the top 100 on a World Bank list of countries by income per person.
Getting a foreign passport is like “taking out an insurance policy,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, who compiles the Hurun Rich List, China’s version of the Forbes list.
“If there is political unrest or suddenly things change in China — because it’s a big country, something could go wrong — they already have a passport to go overseas. It’s an additional safety net.”
Among the 20,000 Chinese with at least 100 million yuan ($15 million) in individual investment assets, 27 percent have already emigrated and 47 percent are considering it, according to a report by China Merchants Bank and U.S. consultants Bain & Co. published in April.
Nearly 60 percent of the people surveyed said worries over their children’s education are a reason for wanting to leave.
A millionaire who works in the coal industry, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said the main push behind his plans to emigrate is China’s test-centric school system, often criticized for producing students who can pass exams but who lack skills for the world of work.
He will take his 7-year-old to the U.S. as soon as the child graduates from junior high at an international school in Beijing where pupils are instructed in English.
“The U.S. has a good educational system and excellent health care,” said the 39-year-old, who has three homes in China and assets worth $5 million. “That’s why we look forward to going there.”
Other top motivations cited in the Merchants Bank study are to protect assets and to prepare for retirement. Also cited as reasons for leaving: having more children and making it easier to develop an overseas business.
Alongside increased emigration there has also been a massive outflow of private money from China despite its strict currency controls. The report estimates that rich Chinese — those with assets of more than 10 million yuan — have about 3.6 trillion yuan ($564 billion) invested overseas.
“The Chinese economy now looks like a massive funnel,” said Zhong Dajun, director of the non-governmental Dajun Center for Economic Observation & Studies in Beijing.
Zhong said it is mostly corrupt government officials who transfer entire fortunes overseas because they have been illegally acquired and “they have fears and feel guilty.”
Wealthy Russians have also been establishing footholds abroad for the past decade, seeking a safe haven both for their money and their children. In recent years, the trend has extended to Russia’s emerging middle class. They cannot afford to invest in London, a favorite destination for Russia’s billionaires and millionaires, so have been setting up second homes in less expensive European countries, including those like the Czech Republic that were once part of the Soviet bloc.
Su, the property developer, intends to stay in China and continue building residential high-rises and office buildings for another 10 years because he fears it would be too difficult for him to replicate his mainland business success abroad.
His wife is already in the U.S., expecting their second child. Under China’s one-child policy in place for the last three decades to control population growth, couples can be penalized for having more than one child. In Beijing, the penalty is a one-off fee 3-10 times the city’s average income, a maximum of 250,000 yuan ($40,000).
“The living conditions abroad are better, like residential conditions, food safety and education,” said the millionaire as he dined in the VIP room of a Beijing restaurant. Lowering his voice, he said for many rich there are worries about the authoritarian government. “This is a very sensitive topic. Everyone knows this. It’s freer and more just abroad,” he said.

This recent article from the Associated Press touches on the desires of the wealthy citizens of China, who hope to move to the developed world. The EB-5 program offers the perfect opportunity to address these desires, with companies like the Florida Regional Center offering projects that will allow foreign investors to obtain their U.S. Green Card through the EB-5 Program.  Please visit our webpages to learn more about the EB-5 Projects currently available from the FRC or to learn more about the EB-5 Program.

Subscribe to our blog (http://visaeb-5.blogspot.com/) for weekly Harbourside Place construction updates and photos or follow us on Twitter @eb5palmbeach for the most up to date information.

Chinese Investors and U.S. Hotels: A Rising Tide of Opportunity

September 7, 2011

We would like to share a recent article written by HVS about the reasons for choosing to invest in hotel properties with the use of the EB-5 program.  HVS is the world’s leading consulting and services organization focused on the hotel, restaurant, shared ownership, gaming, and leisure industries. The article touches on various reasons investors are finding these to be solid ventures due to the growth of the Chinese Tourism industry.  Please read the article below:

Reasons to Invest in U.S. Hotels

• Value of U.S. Hotel Properties

The U.S. has been continuously considered as the nation with the most attractive capital appreciation, ¹   and the lodging industry rebounded in many U.S. markets in 2010. According to the latest HVS Hotel Valuation Index, the recovery in the industry started in 2010, with overall hotel values increasing by 17%. Hotel transactions also rebounded in 2010, with 134 major sales (i.e., an individual asset selling for $10 million or above), and year-to-date 2011 numbers show we are 14 transactions above the level from this time last year. ²
With large amounts of cash on hand to close transactions, Chinese investors have been in a position to acquire hotels in pace with these gains in the market. These investors have been looking mostly at opportunities in major gateway cities, especially on the east and west coasts, where Chinese familiarity with the U.S. runs deepest.

• Strength of the Chinese Yuan, Chinese Tourists, and the Housing Market in China

The rise of the Chinese yuan, increasing Chinese tourism to the U.S., and the recent depreciation of the residential housing market in first-tier cities of China provide further incentive for visits to U.S. destinations and investment in U.S. hotels. The Chinese yuan strengthened to 6.4 per dollar in the summer of 2011 from 8.0 per dollar in early 2006, encouraging more vigorous investments and spending in the U.S. In 2010, more than 800,000 residents of mainland China visited the U.S., a 53% increase over levels in 2009; these visitors spent more than $5 billion (an average of $6,241 per person), a 39% increase over the previous year ³. Lastly, while residential housing values in China have escalated over the last five years, the Chinese government recently implemented new policies meant to temper the rise in home prices. This has resulted in the depreciation of home values in first-tier cities in China, causing real estate investment firms to seek out investments with a higher rate of return outside of China, with U.S. properties among the most attractive.

• Business Expansion

Buying hotels in the U.S. has benefited Chinese investors looking to extend their scope of international business. This especially can been seen in the merger between Interstate Hotels & Resorts and Hotel Acquisition Company LLC, a joint venture of Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels (Group) Company Limited and Thayer Hotel Lodging Group. Both companies have firm roots in their native markets and are well known to businesspeople and hotel stakeholders. This provides an overarching benefit for each company, allowing Jin Jiang International to gain traction in the U.S. via Thayer’s established presence, and vice versa.

• Immigration and Job Creation

Opportunities ranging from better children’s education to achieving higher potential for their careers and businesses have long stoked a desire among some citizens of China to immigrate to the U.S., and investment in U.S. hotels can in some instances provide a route to that goal. The key is in proving that an investor’s hotel interests will create jobs. Garnering much recent popularity is the EB-5 visa, which provides a method for obtaining a Green Card for foreign nationals who invest a minimum of $500,000 in an EB-5 project that will create at least ten jobs in the U.S. As capital remains deficient or unavailable for many new construction projects in the U.S., the EB-5 program becomes a much needed source of funding for such projects, not to mention new construction jobs. Some hotel-related EB-5 projects have already begun, and the increasing demand from would-be Chinese immigrants to the U.S. has made the visa program popular in China’s richest communities.

Opportunities for U.S. Hotel Stakeholders, Consulting, and Services Companies

Chinese investors tend to be both rich in cash and sophisticated with their investment strategies. Yet, as previously mentioned, most Chinese investors are attuned to markets along the east and west coasts of the U.S., where the vast majority of Chinese-acquired hotel assets have so far occurred. In addition, many Chinese investors have limited knowledge of the intricacies of U.S. hotel transactions, taxes, labor policies, licensing, and operations. This creates opportunities for U.S. hotel and hospitality services firms with proven success records to profitably collaborate with these capital-rich investors eager to gain more market knowledge. Chinese investors are continuously looking for hotel assets in the U.S., though the main business of some of these investors may not be in real estate or hotels; others are completely new to the arena of U.S. hotel transactions. Most would welcome the guidance of a professional hotel consulting and services firm.

Conclusion

We are presently witnessing a growing Chinese economy creating more capital to spend on U.S. travel and assets, as well as a corresponding boom in interest from Chinese investors in the U.S. hospitality industry. U.S. hotel stakeholders need to be aware of the catalysts for these developments as well as how to capitalize successfully on them, including the aims of Chinese investors (beyond return on investment) and the millions of potential hotel patrons that the growing Chinese middle class is producing. Hotel owners and professional services firms alike stand to benefit through effective collaboration with Chinese investors, which could prove a beam to help support the industry’s return to strength following the recession.

¹ 2011 AFIRE Annual Survey
² Rushmore, Steve. “Industry Recovery Ahead of Pace.” July 2011.  

³ 2010 Market Profile: China

HVS Article Source Here

Soon to be home to a four star, 178 room Westin Hotel, Harbourside Place presents the perfect opportunity to invest in the EB-5 Program.  Harbourside Place will be the new pinnacle destination for individuals vacationing in South Florida, with a luxury hotel, lavish restaurants, high end shopping, marina, and amphitheater.  The development, located on the beautiful waters of the Intracoastal Waterway, is within driving distance to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Oceans, which provides patrons of the hotel with a plethora of activities to partake in nearby.

Let Harbourside Place be your opportunity to invest in the growing hotel industry in the United States. The Florida Regional Center can guide you through the process and bring your American Dream to a reality.  Contact us for more information on the Harbourside Place project or the EB-5 program.

Subscribe to our blog (http://visaeb-5.blogspot.com/) for weekly Harbourside Place construction updates and photos or follow us on Twitter @eb5palmbeach for the most up to date information.

Florida Regional Center’s Upcoming Chinese Seminar Schedule

September 3, 2011

The Florida Regional Center would like to invite you and your family to one of the many EB-5 Visa seminars we are scheduled to speak at in the upcoming week.  The team of Florida Regional Center EB-5 experts and staff will educate future investors on the benefits and nuances of this U.S. Visa Program.  Below is the schedule of select cities where the FRC’s Director of International Operations, Nicholas Mastroianni III, will be presenting EB-5 Seminars.

Shenzhen                                         September 4, 2011

           

Dongguan                                         September 5, 2011

Shanghai                                          September 6, 2011

Shangdong Province                        September 7, 2011

           

Qingdao                                            September 8, 2011

Hong Kong**                                     September 9-10, 2011

Shenzhen                                          September 11, 2011

** The FRC will be in the area conducting only private meetings, read below to set up your own private meeting.

 

The EB-5 program allows foreigners to invest in United States, USCIS Approved, projects that stimulate the U.S. economy. EB-5 participants will make an investment of $500,000 to $1,000,000 USD into a U.S. project that will create at least 10 jobs for U.S. citizens from the said investment.  In return, the investor will receive a return on their investment, as well as a conditional United States Green Card.  This can be obtained for yourself, your spouse, and any unmarried children up to 21 years of age. More information on the EB-5 visa can be found on www.flregionalcenter.com.

The seminars will highlight the details of the Harbourside Place Project, which is currently being funded by EB-5 investments.  The development is currently under construction and is set on the East Coast of Florida by the Atlantic Ocean. The facility will feature an entertainment plaza and outdoor amphitheatre, retail space, restaurants and eateries, office sites, hotel accommodations and marina slips.  Harbourside Place is projected to create more than 2,400 jobs over the next three years and will provide exceptional economic stimulus for the region.

For those of you who are interested in attending one of these events, but are not currently signed up to attend, please contact us or e-mail us directly Nicholas@flregionalcenter.com to get the specifics on where the seminar is being conducted.

Florida Regional Center executives will remain in these cities after the seminars and will be available to anyone who would like to have private one-on-one meetings.  Please inquire by directly e-mailing Nicholas@flregionalcenter.com.

 

You can also learn more about EB-5 investments and the Harbourside Place by visiting our webpage. Get updates on where the Florida Regional Center will be presenting their next seminars by subscribing to our blog or following us on Twitter @eb5palmbeach.