Was Senator Coburn irrational or is Attorney Mona Shah unaware about the securities law violations and securities fraud committed by regional centers?

I read an article by Mona Shah (see link http://www.lexisnexis.com/legalnewsroom/banking/b/venture-capital/archive/2015/02/05/senator-tom-coburn-s-report-irrationally-condemns-the-eb-5-program.aspx) and the first thought that came to my mind was, "She's probably mistaken. "

She seems unaware of the following facts:

1.     FBI agents raided a regional center in TX for Securities fraud.

2.     SEC raided Anshoo Sethi's regional center for securities fraud and shut him down.

3.     SEC is expected to soon announced prosecution and enforcement actions including hefty fines against over 20 attorneys for violating securities laws and illegally accepting commissions from regional centers for referring EB-5 visa investors to regional centers.

4.     5 USCIS adjudicators, analysts and FDNS investigators themselves complained of fraud and money laundering by regional centers in the EB-5 visa program.

5.     ICE-HSI themselves conducted a study and provided concrete examples of how political pressure was used to override the background checks in order to illegally grant over a THOUSAND EB-5 visas.

6.     Examples such as GCFM and their GreenTech auto ventures actually prove that jobs were NOT created by regional centers even though visas were granted.

7.     Over FIVE THOUSAND EB-5 visa investors are unlikely to get their permanent green cards as regional centers are unable to provide documentation for job creation.

Ms. Shah also seems to unaware of the fact that even despite initial denials by USCIS adjudicators due to unfavourable background checks and security reports, EB-5 visas have actually been given in an illegal manner to investors in cases such as Gulf Coast Funds Management, SLS Casino, American Life, etc., after corrupt officials such as Alejandro Mayorkas intervened on behalf of politicians such as Terry McAuliffe, Harry Reid, etc.

In 2014, powerful Republican Senators asked the GAO to audit the EB-5 visa program in order to assess the efficiency of the program and to suggest steps to eliminate money laundering, securities fraud and securities law violations routinely committed by regional centers. It seems that the report is going to be pretty damaging and will end up being one more reason for regional centers to be kicked out of the EB-5 visa program from September 2015. The GAO report is due to be released in a few months, but based on USCIS and ICE studies and investigations as well as input from investigators and analysts from multiple agencies, the contents of the report are a foregone conclusion.

As it is, there are investigations being run by the SEC, Dept. of State, FBI, ICE-HSI, USCIS-FDNS and even the IRS-CID, and all of these independent investigations have ended up with a common recommendation: Regional centers must be shut down as they illegally offer and sell securities, commit securities fraud and launder money. An added benefit to Republicans and their allies in law enforcement is that they prove actual malfeasance and grounds for termination on the part of a corrupt USCIS official (Alejandro Mayorkas who even got a convicted drug dealer a presidential pardon) and get to permanently sabotage the careers of Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, etc. 

EB-5 visa investors need to remember that the ONLY safe way to get approved is through Genuine Direct Investment Businesses.

Here are some of the critical reasons that EB-5 visa investors should ALWAYS choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses and avoid regional centers:

·         In a Genuine Direct Investment Business, it is quite unusual to encounter fraud or conflict of interest. This alone is THE biggest reason why EB-5 visa investors usually experience capital loss if they opt for regional centers or unsafe Direct Investments (such as Voodoo or Marcos Pizza), while those who opt for Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually NEVER experience capital loss.

·         EB-5 visa investors who choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually earn annual ROI of 15% to 40%, while those who select regional centers usually earn 0-2% annual ROI.
Genuine Direct Investment Businesses offer easy exit strategies to EB-5 visa investors while those who invest in regional centers experience TERRIBLE exit strategies. 

·         Regional Centers usually commit securities fraud and securities law violations while this is usually unheard of in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses. 

·         EB-5 visa investors usually get capital gains if they invest in a Genuine Direct Investment Business and almost NEVER get capital gains if they invest in a regional center. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually see faster processing and approval of their petitions, while it takes much longer for EB-5 visa investors to get their immigrant visa through regional centers. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses have a higher chance of getting their permanent green card, while those who opt for regional centers have a lower chance of getting their green card. 

If you are a business owner or high net worth individual interested in migrating to the US, please contact us for a free consultation. We offer a turnkey solution and have a 100% fee refund guarantee if a client is denied due to our fault.

Mohammed Shaikh, MBA (Accounting), CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com Phone: +1 407 535 0616

SEC Enforcement Action Targeting Unlawful Broker Fees paid to attorneys coming soon with further action expected against regional centers for defrauding EB-5 visa investors and violating securities laws.

NEWS ALERT: The SEC's formal announcement of its enforcement action in the EB-5 industry concerning receipt of unlawful broker fees is imminent. I have warned for some time on my blog (http://eb5-expert.blogspot.com/) that the SEC has been conducting a wide-ranging investigation into the ILLEGAL payment of fees by EB-5 regional centers to immigration attorneys and other persons not registered as securities brokers, in return for sourcing investors for the regional centers. This practice was widespread since 2008, and as a Certified Fraud Examiner, I always opined that receipt of such fees by unlicensed persons would probably violate the broker registration rules. As warned, the SEC is now bringing enforcement actions against a number of those attorneys who deliberately aided and abetted regional centers in defrauding EB-5 visa investors and violating securities laws. It appears that the SEC targeted lawyers are being required to disgorge the payments they unlawfully received dating back for the five years of the standard statute of limitations, or to January 1, 2010, plus interest and penalties amounting to $1 Million or more, for each lawyer. This spate of prosecutions is only the beginning of the SEC’s enforcement actions on this issue and it is obvious that the SEC will use these actions as a basis for bringing forth enforcement actions against EB-5 issuers and regional centers for “aiding and abetting” unregistered brokering activity by engaging and paying unregistered intermediaries.

The SEC has publicly and prominently announced on several occasions that securities law enforcement is a top priority, and the impending announcement of its action in EB-5 clearly demonstrates their resolve. Further enforcement action is expected, in particular as to legacy practices by industry participants. EB-5 securities issuers have ignored their duty to strictly comply with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including but not limited to the illegal broker fee issue, for far too long and now the SEC will be sending a loud and clear message that there will be meaningful consequences when regional centers deliberately violate securities laws and commit securities fraud.

Investigations and prosecutions such as these only serve to underline the obvious fact that regional centers will be removed from the EB-5 visa program after September 2015, and EB-5 visa investors need to invest in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses in order to get their green card in safe and usually profitable manner.

If you are an EB-5 visa investor, please contact us for more details.

Mohammed Shaikh, MBA, CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com
Blog: http://eb5-expert.blogspot.com/
Phone: +1 407 535 0616

Can Attorney Maria Del Carmen Ramos be trusted by EB-5 visa investors? Why should EB-5 visa investors check the facts BEFORE investing any money.

I just read 2 articles by Attorney Maria Del Carmen Ramos, which shows that she clearly misrepresented facts.

Article #1 (see link http://theimmigrationbulletin.com/2015/02/06/bipartisan-legislation-seeks-to-make-the-eb-5-program-permanent/), where this attorney falsely states "Despite the similarities between the Investor Program and Pilot Program, the Pilot Program offers three distinct advantages over the Investor Program. First, the required investment is significantly less under the Pilot Program. A foreign investor need only put $500,000 at risk in a regional center in a targeted employment area to qualify for an EB-5 visa. Under the Investor Program, the foreign investor must put $1 million at risk." I can speak from personal knowledge that EB-5 visa investors can invest even USD 500,000 of their own money in a Direct Investment Business in a TEA and still get their green card easily, safely and usually profitably.

Article #2 (see link http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/come-on-nightline-93541/) is again quite misleading as it implies that the news article was misleading. In this article, the attorney clearly lies when she says "If the commercial enterprise is in a targeted employment area (defined as a rural area or an area where the unemployment rate is 150% of the national average) and with a regional center, then required initial investment is only $500,000." The fact is, either Ms. Maria is a newcomer to the EB-5 visa world or just another dishonest attorney out to mislead EB-5 visa investors, because the actual truth is, EB-5 visa investors can even invest USD 500,000 in a Direct Investment Business in a TEA, and still get their EB-5 visa quickly and actually earn a better return compared to regional centers. Ms. Maria also seems to ignore the fact that even despite initial denials by USCIS adjudicators due to unfavourable background checks and security reports, EB-5 visas have actually been given in an illegal manner to investors in cases such as Gulf Coast Funds Management, SLS Casino, American Life, etc., after corrupt officials such as Alejandro Mayorkas intervened on behalf of politicians such as Terry McAuliffe, Harry Reid, etc.

In 2014, powerful Republican Senators asked the GAO to audit the EB-5 visa program in order to assess the efficiency of the program and to suggest steps to eliminate money laundering, securities fraud and securities law violations routinely committed by regional centers. It seems that the report is going to be pretty damaging and will end up being one more reason for regional centers to be kicked out of the EB-5 visa program from September 2015. The GAO report is due to be released in a few months, but based on USCIS and ICE studies and investigations as well as input from investigators and analysts from multiple agencies, the contents of the report are a foregone conclusion.

As it is, there are investigations being run by the SEC, Dept. of State, FBI, ICE-HSI, USCIS-FDNS and even the IRS-CID, and all of these independent investigations have ended up with a common recommendation: Regional centers must be shut down as they illegally offer and sell securities, commit securities fraud and launder money. An added benefit to Republicans and their allies in law enforcement is that they prove actual malfeasance and grounds for termination on the part of a corrupt USCIS official (Alejandro Mayorkas who even got a convicted drug dealer a presidential pardon) and get to permanently sabotage the careers of Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, etc. Thus, in all fairness, the ABC News report is quite objective and is based on facts. 

EB-5 visa investors need to remember that the ONLY safe way to get approved is through Genuine Direct Investment Businesses.

Here are some of the critical reasons that EB-5 visa investors should ALWAYS choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses and avoid regional centers:

·         In a Genuine Direct Investment Business, it is quite unusual to encounter fraud or conflict of interest. This alone is THE biggest reason why EB-5 visa investors usually experience capital loss if they opt for regional centers or unsafe Direct Investments (such as Voodoo or Marcos Pizza), while those who opt for Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually NEVER experience capital loss.

·         EB-5 visa investors who choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually earn annual ROI of 15% to 40%, while those who select regional centers usually earn 0-2% annual ROI.
Genuine Direct Investment Businesses offer easy exit strategies to EB-5 visa investors while those who invest in regional centers experience TERRIBLE exit strategies. 

·         Regional Centers usually commit securities fraud and securities law violations while this is usually unheard of in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses. 

·         EB-5 visa investors usually get capital gains if they invest in a Genuine Direct Investment Business and almost NEVER get capital gains if they invest in a regional center. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually see faster processing and approval of their petitions, while it takes much longer for EB-5 visa investors to get their immigrant visa through regional centers. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses have a higher chance of getting their permanent green card, while those who opt for regional centers have a lower chance of getting their green card. 

If you are a business owner or high net worth individual interested in migrating to the US, please contact us for a free consultation. We offer a turnkey solution and have a 100% fee refund guarantee if a client is denied due to our fault.

Mohammed Shaikh, MBA (Accounting), CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com Phone: +1 407 535 0616

Looks like the GAO audit report will be just one more reason why regional centers will be kicked out of the EB-5 visa program.

In 2014, powerful Republican Senators asked the GAO to audit the EB-5 visa program in order to assess the efficiency of the program and to suggest steps to eliminate money laundering, securities fraud and securities law violations routinely committed by regional centers. It seems that the report is going to be pretty damaging and will end up being one more reason for regional centers to be kicked out of the EB-5 visa program from September 2015. The GAO report is due to be released in a few months, but based on USCIS and ICE studies and investigations as well as input from investigators and analysts from multiple agencies, the contents of the report are a foregone conclusion.

As it is, there are investigations being run by the SEC, Dept. of State, FBI, ICE-HSI, USCIS-FDNS and even the IRS-CID, and all of these independent investigations have ended up with a common recommendation: Regional centers must be shut down as they illegally offer and sell securities, commit securities fraud and launder money. An added benefit to Republicans and their allies in law enforcement is that they prove actual malfeasance and grounds for termination on the part of a corrupt USCIS official (Alejandro Mayorkas who even got a convicted drug dealer a presidential pardon) and get to permanently sabotage the careers of Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, etc. 

EB-5 visa investors need to remember that the ONLY safe way to get approved is through Genuine Direct Investment Businesses.

Here are some of the critical reasons that EB-5 visa investors should ALWAYS choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses and avoid regional centers:

·         In a Genuine Direct Investment Business, it is quite unusual to encounter fraud or conflict of interest. This alone is THE biggest reason why EB-5 visa investors usually experience capital loss if they opt for regional centers or unsafe Direct Investments (such as Voodoo or Marcos Pizza), while those who opt for Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually NEVER experience capital loss.

·         EB-5 visa investors who choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually earn annual ROI of 15% to 40%, while those who select regional centers usually earn 0-2% annual ROI.
Genuine Direct Investment Businesses offer easy exit strategies to EB-5 visa investors while those who invest in regional centers experience TERRIBLE exit strategies. 

·         Regional Centers usually commit securities fraud and securities law violations while this is usually unheard of in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses. 

·         EB-5 visa investors usually get capital gains if they invest in a Genuine Direct Investment Business and almost NEVER get capital gains if they invest in a regional center. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually see faster processing and approval of their petitions, while it takes much longer for EB-5 visa investors to get their immigrant visa through regional centers. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses have a higher chance of getting their permanent green card, while those who opt for regional centers have a lower chance of getting their green card. 

If you are a business owner or high net worth individual interested in migrating to the US, please contact us for a free consultation. We offer a turnkey solution and have a 100% fee refund guarantee if a client is denied due to our fault.

Mohammed Shaikh, MBA (Accounting), CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com Phone: +1 407 535 0616

As predicted, the latest USCIS statistics prove that delays look certain and there won't be any retrogression in the EB-5 visa program.

I had a look at the USCIS website for processing times and it seems that as I'd predicted last year, there are only going to be processing delays for the EB-5 visa and no retrogression due to the increased scrutiny from the USCIS. It's sad some attorneys with big mouths and a shortage of brains fail to see the big picture and just go around crying "Wolf", in an attempt to drum up more business.

The delay is quite pronounced in the case of regional centers due to the fact that regional center sponsored EB-5 visa petitions are now being extensively scrutinized due to fraud, securities law violations and money laundering concerns. The other reason why retrogression is highly unlikely (if not impossible) is due to the fact that regional centers will be shut out of the EB-5 visa program from October 2015 onwards, and that means everyone who applied for an EB-5 visa through regional centers will need to apply again for Direct Investments.

EB-5 visa investors need to remember that the ONLY safe way to get approved is through Genuine Direct Investment Businesses.

Here are some of the critical reasons that EB-5 visa investors should ALWAYS choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses and avoid regional centers:

·         In a Genuine Direct Investment Business, it is quite unusual to encounter fraud or conflict of interest. This alone is THE biggest reason why EB-5 visa investors usually experience capital loss if they opt for regional centers or unsafe Direct Investments (such as Voodoo or Marcos Pizza), while those who opt for Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually NEVER experience capital loss.

·         EB-5 visa investors who choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually earn annual ROI of 15% to 40%, while those who select regional centers usually earn 0-2% annual ROI.
Genuine Direct Investment Businesses offer easy exit strategies to EB-5 visa investors while those who invest in regional centers experience TERRIBLE exit strategies. 

·         Regional Centers usually commit securities fraud and securities law violations while this is usually unheard of in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses. 

·         EB-5 visa investors usually get capital gains if they invest in a Genuine Direct Investment Business and almost NEVER get capital gains if they invest in a regional center. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually see faster processing and approval of their petitions, while it takes much longer for EB-5 visa investors to get their immigrant visa through regional centers. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses have a higher chance of getting their permanent green card, while those who opt for regional centers have a lower chance of getting their green card. 

If you are a business owner or high net worth individual interested in migrating to the US, please contact us for a free consultation. We offer a turnkey solution and have a 100% fee refund guarantee if a client is denied due to our fault.

Mohammed Shaikh, MBA (Accounting), CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com Phone: +1 407 535 0616

Regional center marketers usually lie, but USCIS numbers don't lie: The case of the missing EB-5 visas.

For years I've been saying that EB-5 visa investors who apply through regional centers have a very low chance of getting their I-829 (permanent green card) petition approved, and yesterday a reader called and asked me what was the basis of my statements. Well, here it is in black and white, and straight from the horse's mouth: The USCIS just released figures for approvals and processing times, and readers are welcome to put the numbers together and do the math. As you can see, about ten to twenty percent of the EB-5 visa investor applicants are denied right away at the I-526 stage, and this is expected to grow even more due to the USCIS increasing their scrutiny. EB-5 visa investors can also see that from the approved EB-5 visa investors, many of them don't see regional centers file their I-829 as the regional centers can't substantiate job creation, because they've been too busy siphoning off funds. For instance, we can see that in 2010, 1369 I-526 petitions were approved but only 712 I-829 petitions were filed in 2012. Similarly, we can see that in 2011, 1571 I-526 petitions were approved and only 1217 petitions were received in 2013. EB-5 visa investors also need to keep in mind that if they were to compare the number of petitions filed with the number of I-829's approved, the results are quite shocking. 

USCIS statistics on I-526 EB-5 petitions for FY2008 –  FY2015
Year	Received	Approved	Denied	Pending
2008	1,258	642	120	853
2009	1,031	1,265	208	514
2010	1,953	1,369	165	1,125
2011	3,805	1,571	372	3,347
2012	6,041	3,677	957	5,018
2013	6,346	3,699	943	7,131
2014	10,923	4,925	1,169	12,453
2015 (First Quarter)	2,941	1,652	133	13,526
Total	34,298	18,800	4,067	43,967
USCIS statistics on I-829 EB-5 petitions for FY2008 –  FY2015
Year	Received	Approved	Denied	Pending
2008	391	161	69	454
2009	437	350	57	735
2010	768	274	56	1,167
2011	2,345	1,067	46	2,395
2012	712	736	60	1,013
2013	1,217	844	44	1,345
2014	2,516	1,603	178	2,075
2015 (First Quarter)	810	69		3,080
Total	9196	5104	510	12264

The fact is, most EB-5 visa investors who invest in regional centers get a temporary green card but do not get permanent green card and become illegal aliens as they fail to maintain status because regional centers don't file their I-829's. On the other hand, EB-5 visa investors who invest in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses don't have that problem. As we can see, between 2008 and 2014, only 5104 EB-5 visa investors got their permanent green cards and only 9196 I-829 petitions were actually received. It doesn't take a genius to count the numbers and understand that investing in regional centers is a big mistake from the legal AND economic perspective.

Potential EB-5 visa investors can directly check the I-829 figures (see link http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/Reports%20and%20Studies/Immigration%20Forms%20Data/Employment-based/I829_performancedata_fy2015_qtr1.pdf) and compare it with the I-526 figures (see link at http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/Reports%20and%20Studies/Immigration%20Forms%20Data/Employment-based/I526_performancedata_fy2015_qtr1.pdf) prior in order to verify the numbers released by the USCIS.

These are the exact same numbers why 3 Senators wrote to the GAO to initiate an audit into the EB-5 visa program, and this is exactly why ICE - HSI specifically recommended that regional centers be shut down, and those who wish to learn more can read the secret ICE memo at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/EB5_ICE_fraud_memo.pdf to confirm that ICE explicitly listed several reasons for shutting down regional centers.

The SEC has already started their own investigation to target sleazy lawyers who have illegally marketed and sold regional center securities (see link at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-13/sec-said-to-target-deals-giving-visas-to-rich-foreign-investors), and the fact is, regional centers knew that they've illegally offered and sold securities in the US and abroad to EB-5 visa investors.

The problem is, many immigration attorneys ILLEGALLY received commission for recommending terrible investments (also known as "projects") to EB-5 visa investors, resulting in EB-5 visa investors losing their time, money AND EB-5 visas. It is unscrupulous immigration and securities lawyers who collude with regional center owners and dishonest immigration agents to defraud EB-5 visa investors.

The fact is, many unscrupulous attorneys collude with immigration agents and regional centers to defraud EB-5 visa investors and get illegal commission checks in the process as a reward for convincing EB-5 visa investors to invest in regional centers that are such terrible investments, that nobody in the US is willing to invest in them.

Investigators and analysts from SEC, FBI, USCIS - FDNS, ICE-HSI, IRS-CID and Dept. of State are collectively working to block regional centers from the EB-5 visa program, and that regional centers will NOT be allowed to remain in the EB-5 visa program after September 2015. Jared Polis has introduced a bill to renew the regional center program, but the regional center bill is guaranteed to fail this year as it failed last year as not only is the bill opposed by about 140,000 investigators and their unions, it is also opposed by several powerful politicians and the results of the GAO audit due this summer are only bound to solidify the opposition to the renewal.

As a matter of fact, the regional center extension has a 2% chance of going through (see link at https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr616), and in real terms has no chance of being passed due to the fact that government agencies, law enforcement unions, powerful politicians and thousands of investigators are up in arms against regional centers.

EB-5 visa investors need to remember that the ONLY safe way to get approved is through Genuine Direct Investment Businesses.

Here are some of the critical reasons that EB-5 visa investors should ALWAYS choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses and avoid regional centers:

·         In a Genuine Direct Investment Business, it is quite unusual to encounter fraud or conflict of interest. This alone is THE biggest reason why EB-5 visa investors usually experience capital loss if they opt for regional centers or unsafe Direct Investments (such as Voodoo or Marcos Pizza), while those who opt for Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually NEVER experience capital loss.

·         EB-5 visa investors who choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually earn annual ROI of 15% to 40%, while those who select regional centers usually earn 0-2% annual ROI.
Genuine Direct Investment Businesses offer easy exit strategies to EB-5 visa investors while those who invest in regional centers experience TERRIBLE exit strategies. 

·         Regional Centers usually commit securities fraud and securities law violations while this is usually unheard of in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses. 

·         EB-5 visa investors usually get capital gains if they invest in a Genuine Direct Investment Business and almost NEVER get capital gains if they invest in a regional center. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually see faster processing and approval of their petitions, while it takes much longer for EB-5 visa investors to get their immigrant visa through regional centers. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses have a higher chance of getting their permanent green card, while those who opt for regional centers have a lower chance of getting their green card. 

If you are a business owner or high net worth individual interested in migrating to the US, please contact us for a free consultation. We offer a turnkey solution and have a 100% fee refund guarantee if a client is denied due to our fault.

Mohammed Shaikh, MBA (Accounting), CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com Phone: +1 407 535 0616

SEC preparing to prosecute immigration lawyers for illegally selling regional center securities to EB-5 visa investors.

There is a reason why ICE - HSI specifically recommended that regional centers be shut down, and those who wish to learn more can read the secret ICE memo at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/EB5_ICE_fraud_memo.pdf to confirm that ICE explicitly listed several reasons for shutting down regional centers.

The SEC has already started their own investigation to target sleazy lawyers who have illegally marketed and sold regional center securities (see link at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-13/sec-said-to-target-deals-giving-visas-to-rich-foreign-investors), and the fact is, regional centers knew that they've illegally offered and sold securities in the US and abroad to EB-5 visa investors.

The problem is, many immigration attorneys ILLEGALLY received commission for recommending terrible investments (also known as "projects") to EB-5 visa investors, resulting in EB-5 visa investors losing their time, money AND EB-5 visas. It is unscrupulous immigration and securities lawyers who collude with regional center owners and dishonest immigration agents to defraud EB-5 visa investors. It is a well known fact that less than 50% of EB-5 visa investors who invest in a regional center get their permanent green card approved, and an easy way to confirm this is to check the I-829 approvals (see link http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/Reports%20and%20Studies/Immigration%20Forms%20Data/Employment-based/I829_performancedata_fy2015_qtr1.pdf) and compare it with the I-526 approvals of 2 years (see link at http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/Reports%20and%20Studies/Immigration%20Forms%20Data/Employment-based/I526_performancedata_fy2015_qtr1.pdf) prior in order to see that in most instances, the number of EB-5 visa investors who get their permanent green cards are a lot fewer than those who obtained their temporary green cards.

The fact is, many unscrupulous attorneys collude with immigration agents and regional centers to defraud EB-5 visa investors and get illegal commission checks in the process as a reward for convincing EB-5 visa investors to invest in regional centers that are such terrible investments, that nobody in the US is willing to invest in them.

investigators and analysts from SEC, FBI, USCIS - FDNS, ICE-HSI, IRS-CID and Dept. of State are collectively working to block regional centers from the EB-5 visa program, and that regional centers will NOT be allowed to remain in the EB-5 visa program after September 2015. Jared Polis has introduced a bill to renew the regional center program, but the regional center bill is guaranteed to fail this year as it failed last year as not only is the bill opposed by about 140,000 investigators and their unions, it is also opposed by several powerful politicians and the results of the GAO audit due this summer are only bound to solidify the opposition to the renewal.

As a matter of fact, the regional center extension has a 2% chance of going through (see link at https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr616), and in real terms has no chance of being passed due to the fact that government agencies, law enforcement unions, powerful politicians and thousands of investigators are up in arms against regional centers.

EB-5 visa investors need to remember that the ONLY safe way to get approved is through Genuine Direct Investment Businesses.

Here are some of the critical reasons that EB-5 visa investors should ALWAYS choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses and avoid regional centers:

·         In a Genuine Direct Investment Business, it is quite unusual to encounter fraud or conflict of interest. This alone is THE biggest reason why EB-5 visa investors usually experience capital loss if they opt for regional centers or unsafe Direct Investments (such as Voodoo or Marcos Pizza), while those who opt for Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually NEVER experience capital loss.

·         EB-5 visa investors who choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually earn annual ROI of 15% to 40%, while those who select regional centers usually earn 0-2% annual ROI.
Genuine Direct Investment Businesses offer easy exit strategies to EB-5 visa investors while those who invest in regional centers experience TERRIBLE exit strategies. 

·         Regional Centers usually commit securities fraud and securities law violations while this is usually unheard of in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses. 

·         EB-5 visa investors usually get capital gains if they invest in a Genuine Direct Investment Business and almost NEVER get capital gains if they invest in a regional center. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually see faster processing and approval of their petitions, while it takes much longer for EB-5 visa investors to get their immigrant visa through regional centers. 

·         EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses have a higher chance of getting their permanent green card, while those who opt for regional centers have a lower chance of getting their green card. 

If you are a business ow.ner or high net worth individual interested in migrating to the US, please contact us for a free consultation. We offer a turnkey solution and have a 100% fee refund guarantee if a client is denied due to our fault.

Mohammed Shaikh, MBA (Accounting), CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com Phone: +1 407 535 0616

Did Ali Jahangiri and David Hirson try to mislead EB-5 visa investors? Why should EB-5 visa investors choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses?

I just read an article (see link http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-jahangiri/nightline-misunderstands-_b_6664022.html ) and was not surprised to see clearly misleading and inaccurate statements by Mr. Jahangiri. I am simply shocked and disappointed that despite knowing that his advertisers ILLEGALLY offer and sell securities overseas, he not only earns money by helping criminals, but also tries to mislead others by knowingly implying things which are untrue.

We all know that Ali Jahangiri and David Hirson make money from regional centers, and I've yet to come across a single regional center that has legally offered or sold securities in China or India, to name just 2 examples. There is a reason why ICE - HSI specifically recommended that regional centers be shut down, and those who wish to learn more can read the secret ICE memo at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/EB5_ICE_fraud_memo.pdf to confirm that ICE explicitly listed several reasons for shutting down regional centers.

For instance, Mr. Jahangiri wrote, 'The article also claims that "the program has become a magnet for those seeking to sidestep the scrutiny of the traditional immigration process." Again, this is an unfounded portrayal of the program. Applicants are not simply given a free pass to enter the U.S. upon making their investments; EB-5 investors go through the same Department of Homeland Security checks and protocols that all other green card applicants are subjected to.' To this, I say you lie Mr. Jahangiri. Mr. Jahangiri knows very well that in the case of Sam Nazarian's casino where Mayorkas illegally helped EB-5 visa investors get green cards at the behest of Harry Reid as well as in the case of GCFM at the behest of Bill Clinton, Anthony Rodham (Hillary Clinton's brother) and Terry McAuliffe (now the Governor of VA), to cite just 2 examples (and there are more examples such as American Life, Bay Area Regional Center, Jay Peak, etc.), there are numerous reported instances where checks and protocols were illegally ignored due to political pressure applied by sleazy politicians.

David Hirson wrote 'Immigration attorney David Hirson explains that, "from there, the documents are reviewed for authenticity and accuracy, all while the DHS runs the EB-5 investor's personal information through State Department, IRS, Interpol, Office of Foreign Asset Control, and its own databases. It should be noted that this process routinely takes in excess of 18 months, and immigrant investors are granted no legal right to enter the U.S. until official approval. The documentation process is so detailed and arduous that prospective immigrant investors from countries with non-western banking practices often turn away from the program altogether." ' To this, I say, Mr. Hirson is misleading readers. No less than 5 separate DHS employees have all made the same allegations as have FBI Analysts and Agents, IRS - CID agents and investigators from other agencies have all said that the background checks are routinely circumvented even when there is clear evidence of fraud such as forged documents, presented by the EB-5 visa investors. It is possible even 1-2 investigators may lie, but when a whole bunch of investigators and analysts from 7 different agencies make the same allegations, the obvious conclusion is that there must at least be an element of truth to those allegations.

Jahangiri claims that the system is not to blame and there are only a few bad individuals, and to Mr. Jahangiri, I say this: YOUR STATEMENT IS MISLEADING AND YOU EARN MONEY BY HELPING CRIMINALS. In the EB-5 visa program, the entire regional center system is rotten and corrupt. The reason I call you a liar sir, is because I can confidently state that not only is most of the money that has flowed into the regional center program for at least the past 5 years been ILLEGALLY laundered through China, I'd also like to point out that those funds were obtained illicitly to begin with and the reason funds were laundered is because they were illicit and taxes weren't paid on most of the investor funds. I will also point out to Mr. Jahangiri that not even 1 out of the over 500 regional centers that have tried to offer and sell securities in China and India (to cite just 2 examples) have legally offered and sold securities in those 2 countries. You can also check with the regulators in Mexico, Russia and South Korea that regional center securities were illegally offered and sold there too. Mr. Jahangiri, would you like to make a guess about the percentage of EB-5 visa investors in regional centers who actually get their green cards? I think you already know the answer is well below 50%, and those who doubt this figure can simply go on and check the figures from http://www.uscis.gov/tools/reports-studies/immigration-forms-data/data-set-form-i-526-immigrant-petition-alien-entrepreneur and compare it with the figures at http://www.uscis.gov/tools/reports-studies/immigration-forms-data/data-set-form-i-829-petition-entrepreneur-remove-conditions to confirm that those who invest in regional centers don't have a great chance of getting their permanent green card.

Mr. Jahangiri falsely implies that HR 616 would impose rigorous new standards on regional center operators and administrators. I'd like to take this opportunity to correct Mr. Jahangiri on 2 counts: a) The rot lies in the regional center program and not in the EB-5 visa program, b) If you actually read the text of the proposed bill, you will realize that it is a watered down bill that does nothing much to really address the concerns raised by ICE - HSI investigators, FBI Investigators and analysts, several Senators, Dept. of State investigators, IRS - CID investigators, USCIS - FDNS analysts and a lot of other investigators and analysts from other agencies such as SEC, etc. The fact is, the proposed bill does NOTHING to require authenticated source of funds documents, NOTHING to prevent money laundering and tax evasion and certainly NOTHING to prevent illegal offering and sale of securities as well as securities fraud committed by regional centers. The fact is, the reason that bill has a 2% chance of becoming law (and that is a very generous estimate) is because it is merely putting lip stick on a pig. 

Mr. Jahangiri had earlier tried to threaten me with a lawsuit in an effort to intimidate me into withdrawing my statements exposing him, and I let him and his lawyer know exactly how I'd tear them a new one in court, due to which he backed off and never dared to try and sue me as doing so would prove to be quite embarrassing and uncomfortable from a legal perspective for Mr. Jahangiri AND his advertisers.

The SEC has already started their own investigation to target sleazy lawyers who have illegally marketed and sold regional center securities (see link at http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-13/sec-said-to-target-deals-giving-visas-to-rich-foreign-investors), and the fact is, regional centers knew that they've illegally offered and sold securities in the US and abroad to EB-5 visa investors.

The bottom line is, investigators and analysts from SEC, FBI, USCIS - FDNS, ICE-HSI, IRS-CID and Dept. of State are collectively working to block regional centers from the EB-5 visa program. Jared Polis introduced a bill to renew the regional center program, but the bill is guaranteed to fail as not only is the bill opposed by about 140,000 investigators and their unions, it is also opposed by several powerful politicians and the results of the GAO audit due this summer are only bound to solidify the opposition to the renewal. 

As a matter of fact, the regional center extension has a 2% chance of going through (see link at https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr616), and in real terms has no chance of being passed due to the fact that government agencies, law enforcement unions, powerful politicians and thousands of investigators are up in arms against regional centers.

EB-5 visa investors need to remember that the ONLY safe way to get approved is through Genuine Direct Investment Businesses.

Here are some of the critical reasons that EB-5 visa investors should ALWAYS choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses and avoid regional centers:

1. In a Genuine Direct Investment Business, it is quite unusual to encounter fraud or conflict of interest. This alone is THE biggest reason why EB-5 visa investors usually experience capital loss if they opt for regional centers or unsafe Direct Investments (such as Voodoo or Marcos Pizza), while those who opt for Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually NEVER experience capital loss. 
2. EB-5 visa investors who choose Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually earn annual ROI of 15% to 40%, while those who select regional centers usually earn 0-2% annual ROI. 
3. Genuine Direct Investment Businesses offer easy exit strategies to EB-5 visa investors while those who invest in regional centers experience TERRIBLE exit strategies. 
4. Regional Centers usually commit securities fraud and securities law violations while this is usually unheard of in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses. 
5. EB-5 visa investors usually get capital gains if they invest in a Genuine Direct Investment Business and almost NEVER get capital gains if they invest in a regional center. 
6. EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses usually see faster processing and approval of their petitions, while it takes much longer for EB-5 visa investors to get their immigrant visa through regional centers.  
7. EB-5 visa investors in Genuine Direct Investment Businesses have a higher chance of getting their permanent green card, while those who opt for regional centers have a lower chance of getting their green card.

If you are a business owner or high net worth individual interested in migrating to the US, please contact us for a free consultation. We offer a turnkey solution and have a 100% fee refund guarantee if a client is denied due to our fault.

Yours truly,
Mohammed Shaikh, MBA (Accounting), CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Online:  http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com Phone: +1 407 535 0616