What was the REAL (and still undisclosed) scandal in the EB-5 visa story involving Harry Reid, Alejandro Mayorkas and the Clintons?

It looks like the media have missed the real scandal. The real scandal is that both the SLS Casino (whose cause was advocated by Harry Reid) and GCFM & GreenTech Automotive (advocated by Tony Rodham, Terry McAuliffe and Bill Clinton) illegally offered and sold securities worth a total of over $300 Million in China and received laundered funds. 

Their investors were statutorily ineligible to receive EB-5 visas as they could not fully document their source of funds, and Mayorkas intervened to illegally help SLS Casino and GCFM (as well as GreenTech Automotive) fraudulently obtain hundreds of EB-5 visas as they would otherwise have had to return the funds upon denial of the petitions. DHS OIG investigators are welcome to team up with IRS CID and ICE HSI investigators to confirm that over 90% of the EB-5 visa recipients in SLS Casinos and GCFM were ineligible as their funds were a) laundered (which in and of itself is a felony in China and USA), b) undocumented, as these funds were the proceeds of crimes such as intellectual property theft, corruption, drug and human trafficking, prostitution, illegal gambling, etc.

Even the fact that SLS Casinos and GCFM failed to disclose to their investors that they were illegally offering and selling securities in China (without the required approval from CSRC) is itself a clear act of securities fraud. The visa fraud was only committed in furtherance of a conspiracy to commit securities fraud, money laundering and securities law violations. Has anyone in the Justice Department heard of RICO?

The money laundering is easily proved because most of the SLS and GCFM investors were Chinese, and Chinese law requires that a Chinese citizen can only remit USD 50,000 abroad each year, and anything in excess of that needs prior governmental approval from SAFE. Instead of obtaining approval from SAFE, their investors laundered funds by having straw men send the funds abroad on their behalf in order to circumvent China's foreign exchange regulations as well as to avoid disclosing their illicit wealth to the government, as doing so would attract criminal charges. Even if DHS ignores the money laundering, there is still the issue that over 300 investors fraudulently obtained EB-5 visas for which they were statutorily ineligible due to the fact that they did not have adequate source of funds documentation.

This is one of the reasons ICE has recommended that regional centers be removed from the EB-5 visa program, and is a great example why H.R. 616 should be opposed by everyone.

Mohammed Shaikh, MBA (Accounting), Certified Fraud Examiner, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)

Phone: 407 535 0616

Senator calls for Alejandro Mayorkas to be sacked in EB-5 visa fraud scandal.

Alejandro Mayorkas has long had a reputation for being corrupt, and was quite famous for getting a presidential pardon for Carlos Vignali, a drug dealer convicted for possession of about 400 KILOS of cocaine. He was later found to have unlawfully helped his associates Bill Clinton, Tony Rodham, Harry Reid and Terry McAuliffe (the Willie Brown story about the Bay Area Regional Center hasn't come out yet) in fraudulently obtaining hundreds of EB-5 visas for their investors. Now that the DHS OIG report has been officially released and implicates Alejandro Mayorkas for improperly helping politically influential Democrats unlawfully obtain EB-5 visas for their investors, we are seeing the beginning of calls by the Republicans asking for Mayorkas to be sacked (as he deserves to be fired for aiding and abetting visa fraud, money laundering and securities fraud). The link to the news story is at http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/03/27/sen-grassley-dhs-must-hold-top-official-accountable-for-acts-of-democrat-favoritism/ See link to Senator Grassley's letter at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/Grassley_demands_Mayorkas_ouster_March_2015.pdf

As Bill Clinton himself helped market GreenTech Automotive for Terry McAuliffe and Anthony (Tony Rodham) while they were committing securities fraud, money laundering, securities law violations AND EB-5 visa fraud, the scandal is going to directly affect Hillary Clinton's campaign. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so the following pictures disclose the little known aspects of the EB-5 visa fraud scam that Mayorkas had going for the Clintons, Rodham and McAuliffe.

There is zero dispute about the fact that Tony Rodham and Terry McAuliffe illegally offered and sold securities in China, and there is no dispute about the fact that they committed securities fraud, laundered illicit funds AND fraudulently obtained EB-5 visas for their investors. I know that most of the GCFM investors are unable to prove that their source of funds was lawful, and as such, they were statutorily ineligible to receive EB-5 visas. There is no dispute about the fact that had Mayorkas not intervened, most of the GCFM investors would have seen their EB-5 visa petitions denied. In the US, a failure to disclose material facts to investors IS termed as securities fraud. The immediate result of this is that Hillary Clinton's presidential run for 2016 is dead in the water. At present, Jared Polis has introduced a bill (HR 616) to permanently extend regional centers in the EB-5 visa program, and investigators from ICE-HSI, DHS OIG, USCIS FDNS, etc. are strongly opposing this bill due to rampant visa and securities fraud, money laundering and other crimes committed by regional centers as well as national security issues such as the unlawful and fraudulent issuance of the EB-5 visas reported by DHS OIG. 

The legislative impact of this scandal is that the bill to extend the regional center program is dead in the water as it has become a political hot potato, and IIUSA + Greenberg Traurig will again fail to get it passed this year as they failed to get it passed last year. (see the independent bill tracker https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr616)

The full DHS OIG report is available for review at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/DHS OIG EB-5 Report March 2015.pdf and EB-5 visa investors can read it to understand that due to the fact that all USCIS employees are actively opposing the extension of the regional center program, and are joined by ICE - HSI, DHS OIG, SEC, IRS - CID, etc., the practical chances for the extension of the regional center program are zero percent and the theoretical chances for the extension of the regional center program are 1%

You can read the DHS OIG report on regional centers at http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2014/OIG_14-19_Dec13.pdf

SEC has also advised EB-5 visa investors to avoid regional centers due to the fact that securities fraud is quite common in the regional center program. See the SEC memo at http://www.sec.gov/investor/alerts/ia_immigrant.htm

You can read the ICE memo at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/EB5_ICE_fraud_memo.pdf 

In practical terms, this means that those EB-5 visa investors whose petitions were not approved by September 2015 may probably have to re-apply under the Direct Investment Program, and this will significantly help boost the EB-5 visa program by eliminating the fraud and conflict of interest seen in the regional center program. It would also help increase actual employment in the US as opposed to the hypothetical numbers seen in the "indirect employment" model given to regional centers.

The upcoming EB-5 visa stakeholder's conference is expected to show a continuing trend of growing backlog of petitions, very long approval times and increased denial rates for regional center affiliated EB-5 visa petitions as DHS, IRS, ICE, SEC and FBI continue to crack down.

Since 2012, ICE has officially recommended banning regional centers from the EB-5 visa program and actually said "there can be no safeguards that can be put in place that will ensure the integrity of the regional center model." See link at https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2013/12/19/senate-section/article/s9001-2

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 using EB-5 visa or L1A + EB-1C visa, 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

Growing EB-5 visa scandal causes Harry Reid to decide to retire, and it looks like Mayorkas is next and Hillary Clinton's campaign is affected too. (HH, JTAB)

Senator Harry Reid has announced that he will retire and won't run for re-election as news emerged that his lobbyist son Rory Reid was representing Sam Nazarian's SLS Casino at the same time he was having Alejandro Mayorkas pressurize DHS employees to illegally approve EB-5 visas for SLS Casino in a clear violation of ethics rules. See link http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/03/27/senate-democratic-leader-reid-announces-retirement/ and opinion of a former US Attorney at http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/03/27/exclusive-former-u-s-attorney-says-an-independent-doj-would-open-a-preliminary-criminal-investigation-into-harry-reids-intervention/

The obvious attention of Congressional investigations will now be on Alejandro Mayorkas and Bill Clinton, and the result is that not only H.R. 616 (the bill to permanently extend regional centers) but even Hillary Clinton's campaign are in serious trouble, as photos have emerged of Bill Clinton marketing GreenTech Automotive, which was the business that was headed by Terry McAuliffe, and funded by GCFM (that was headed by Tony Rodham). The problem with GreenTech Automotive is the same problem faced by SLS Casinos, as they both illegally marketed and sold securities in China, laundered over ONE HUNDRED MILLION Dollars each, violated securities laws in China, committed securities fraud and also fraudulently obtained EB-5 visas for their investors in an unlawful manner. It is surprising that some Greenberg Traurig Attorneys feel that H.R. 616 still has a chance of being passed, when ICE-HSI, IRS - CID, USCIS FDNS, FBI, SEC and Dept. of State investigators are actively opposing the bill. As a matter of fact, the first Congressional hearing was held yesterday (see link https://youtu.be/ZOeBtnGmM90 ) and many more hearings are expected.

The DHS recently released a report on the investigation of fraudulent conduct by Mayorkas, and Congress is looking at the fact that the DHS OIG report is incomplete. 

The full DHS OIG report is available at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/DHS OIG EB-5 Report March 2015.pdf and EB-5 visa investors can read it to understand that due to the fact that all USCIS employees are actively opposing the extension of the regional center program, and are joined by ICE - HSI, DHS OIG, SEC, IRS - CID, etc., the practical chances for the extension of the regional center program are zero percent and the the theoretical chances for the extension of the regional center program are 1% (see the independent bill tracker https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr616 to confirm that the chances for the extension of the regional center bill are basically slim to none)

You can read the DHS OIG report on regional centers at http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2014/OIG_14-19_Dec13.pdf

SEC has also advised EB-5 visa investors to avoid regional centers due to the fact that securities fraud is quite common in the regional center program. See the SEC memo at http://www.sec.gov/investor/alerts/ia_immigrant.htm

You can read the ICE memo at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/EB5_ICE_fraud_memo.pdf 

In practical terms, this means that those EB-5 visa investors whose petitions were not approved by September 2015 may probably have to re-apply under the Direct Investment Program, and this will significantly help boost the EB-5 visa program by eliminating the fraud and conflict of interest seen in the regional center program. It would also help increase actual employment in the US as opposed to the hypothetical numbers seen in the "indirect employment" model given to regional centers.

The upcoming EB-5 visa stakeholder's conference is expected to show a continuing trend of growing backlog of petitions, very long approval times and increased denial rates. I believe over 10,000 EB-5 visa investors will very soon become intimately familiar with the money laundering statutes that authorize the seizure of ALL assets and funds, and not just the invested funds of an EB-5 visa investor.

Since 2012, ICE has officially recommended banning regional centers from the EB-5 visa program and actually said "there can be no safeguards that can be put in place that will ensure the integrity of the regional center model." See link at https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2013/12/19/senate-section/article/s9001-2  Even the SEC warns EB-5 visa investors to avoid 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 using EB-5 visa or L1A + EB-1C visa, 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

I predicted the controversy that will sink the careers of Alejandro Mayorkas and Harry Reid, and today marked the beginning of their end.

About 2 months ago I'd predicted that Alejandro Mayorkas and Harry Reid will soon end up in trouble (see link http://eb5-expert.blogspot.com/2015/02/you-read-it-here-first-alejandro.html and http://eb5-expert.blogspot.com/2015/01/is-mayorkas-going-down-for-aiding-and.html), and today we see that they're in the middle of a controversy that will snowball into a major Congressional investigation and possible prison terms for both of them.

Similarly, I'd also predicted that HR 616 will fail and we are already seeing media stories and controversies all over the news, and these stories show that regional centers will be removed from the EB-5 visa program in September 2015 due to widespread overt and covert opposition by investigators from DHS OIG, ICE - HSI, USCIS - FDNS, FBI, IRS - CID, Dept. of State, SEC, etc.

The full DHS OIG report is available for review at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/DHS OIG EB-5 Report March 2015.pdf

You can read the DHS OIG report on regional centers at http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2014/OIG_14-19_Dec13.pdf

SEC has also advised EB-5 visa investors to avoid regional centers due to the fact that securities fraud is quite common in the regional center program. See the SEC memo at http://www.sec.gov/investor/alerts/ia_immigrant.htm

You can read the ICE memo at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/EB5_ICE_fraud_memo.pdf 

In practical terms, this means that those EB-5 visa investors whose petitions were not approved by September 2015 may probably have to re-apply under the Direct Investment Program, and this will significantly help boost the EB-5 visa program by eliminating the fraud and conflict of interest seen in the regional center program. It would also help increase actual employment in the US as opposed to the hypothetical numbers seen in the "indirect employment" model given to regional centers.

The upcoming EB-5 visa stakeholder's conference is expected to show a continuing trend of growing backlog of petitions, very long approval times and increased denial rates. 

Since 2012, ICE has officially recommended banning regional centers from the EB-5 visa program and actually said "there can be no safeguards that can be put in place that will ensure the integrity of the regional center model." See link at https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2013/12/19/senate-section/article/s9001-2  Even the SEC warns EB-5 visa investors to avoid 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 using EB-5 visa or L1A + EB-1C visa, 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 (Acctg), CFE, Licensed Business & RE Broker (CA & FL)
Online: http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com Phone: +1 407 535 0616

EB-5 visa investors should read the full DHS OIG report in order to understand that HR 616 (the bill to extend regional centers in the EB-5 visa program) will not become law

The full DHS OIG report is available for review at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/DHS OIG EB-5 Report March 2015.pdf and EB-5 visa investors can read it to understand that due to the fact that all USCIS employees are actively opposing the extension of the regional center program, and are joined by ICE - HSI, DHS OIG, SEC, IRS - CID, etc., the practical chances for the extension of the regional center program are zero percent and the the theoretical chances for the extension of the regional center program are 1% (see the independent bill tracker https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr616)

At present, Jared Polis has introduced a bill (HR 616) to permanently extend regional centers in the EB-5 visa program, and investigators from ICE-HSI, DHS OIG, USCIS FDNS, etc. are strongly opposing this bill due to rampant visa and securities fraud, money laundering and national security issues such as the unlawful and fraudulent issuance of the EB-5 visas reported by DHS OIG. 

You can read the DHS OIG report on regional centers at http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2014/OIG_14-19_Dec13.pdf

SEC has also advised EB-5 visa investors to avoid regional centers due to the fact that securities fraud is quite common in the regional center program. See the SEC memo at http://www.sec.gov/investor/alerts/ia_immigrant.htm

You can read the ICE memo at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/EB5_ICE_fraud_memo.pdf 

In practical terms, this means that those EB-5 visa investors whose petitions were not approved by September 2015 may probably have to re-apply under the Direct Investment Program, and this will significantly help boost the EB-5 visa program by eliminating the fraud and conflict of interest seen in the regional center program. It would also help increase actual employment in the US as opposed to the hypothetical numbers seen in the "indirect employment" model given to regional centers.

The upcoming EB-5 visa stakeholder's conference is expected to show a continuing trend of growing backlog of petitions, very long approval times and increased denial rates. I believe over 10,000 EB-5 visa investors will very soon become intimately familiar with the money laundering statutes that authorize the seizure of ALL assets and funds, and not just the invested funds of an EB-5 visa investor.

Since 2012, ICE has officially recommended banning regional centers from the EB-5 visa program and actually said "there can be no safeguards that can be put in place that will ensure the integrity of the regional center model." See link at https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2013/12/19/senate-section/article/s9001-2  Even the SEC warns EB-5 visa investors to avoid 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 using EB-5 visa or L1A + EB-1C visa, 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

Now that the DHS OIG has completed their investigation, what are the implications for Alejandro Mayorkas and 3 regional centers? (HH, JTAB)

I read the news release issued by DHS OIG (see link at http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/pr/2015/oigpr_032415.pdf ) in the matter of Alejandro Mayorkas illegally helping Sam Nazarian's Casino and Tony Rodham & Terry McAuliffe's regional center in obtaining EB-5 visas in a fraudulent manner. 

The full DHS OIG report is available for review at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/DHS OIG EB-5 Report March 2015.pdf

 The Wall Street Journal had a more detailed story about the report. (See link to the story at http://www.wsj.com/articles/homeland-security-watchdog-report-cites-favoritism-in-eb-5-visa-program-1427220658 )

It is clear that Mr. Mayorkas helped regional centers obtain EB-5 visas in a fraudulent manner, and these revelations provide a further excuse for legislators to vote against HR 616, the bill to extend regional centers in the EB-5 visa program.

The upcoming EB-5 visa stakeholder's conference is expected to show a continuing trend of growing backlog of petitions, very long approval times and increased denial rates. 

It is now common knowledge that ICE - HSI and USCIS - FDNS teams are scrutinizing EB-5 visa petitions a lot more diligently than they used to, and they are actually going back and comparing documents such as bank statements, tax records etc. submitted by EB-5 visa investors to the original documents from the investor's home country. What was not known so commonly till now is that IRS - CID were also investigating, and now that we've seen the first known case of asset seizure, we can only expect to see thousands more such cases. My clients and competitors would always wonder why is it that I mentioned agencies such as the FBI,IRS - CID and Dept. of State, but the fact is, they've been investigating and just take their own sweet time in moving. The investigators at Treasure and Justice usually seize all asset, and in easy cases such as poorly laundered funds, the process for asset seizure is quick and easy when it comes to EB-5 visa petitions filed through regional centers.

Since 2012, ICE has officially recommended banning regional centers from the EB-5 visa program and actually said "there can be no safeguards that can be put in place that will ensure the integrity of the regional center model." See link at https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2013/12/19/senate-section/article/s9001-2  Even the SEC warns EB-5 visa investors to avoid 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 using EB-5 visa or L1A + EB-1C visa, 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

Why did Ali Brodie write a misleading article in support of HR 616 (the bill to extend regional centers in the EB-5 visa program)?

I read an article on the NatLawReview.com website by Ali Brodie, encouraging support for HR 616. Ali Brodie falsely claims that the EB-5 program is at risk of expiring on 30th September 2015, and the fact is, dishonest lawyers are known to make misleading statements in order to help their clients achieve their goals in an unethical manner. Greenberg Traurig is a law firm with a long and colourful history, and a great example of their values can be found in the Jack Abramoff story. I am sure that Ali Brodie actually read the text of the bill, and deliberately penned an inaccurate article, unless she would have us believe that she writes without even knowing what she is talking about.

The truth is, only the regional center program is expiring on September 30th 2015 and that the EB-5 program is actually permanent. HR 616 does NOTHING effective to protect EB-5 visa investors from fraud and does nothing to address the fact that regional centers usually market and sell securities in an unlawful manner in China, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, etc.

The fact is, Genuine Direct Investment Businesses are the only safe and effective way for EB-5 visa investors to go forward as the potential for fraud and conflict of interest is basically non-existent.

The fact is, Jared Polis is realizing that the regional center extension bill has no chance of passing, which is why he is now resorting to Op-Eds as are the folks from IIUSA and Ms. Ali Brodie from Greenberg Traurig.

I wrote the following letter to Jared Polis telling him in exact detail WHY HR 616 should NOT be extended. 

Dear Representative Polis,

My name is Mohammed Shaikh, and I've been a Certified Fraud Examiner for over a decade, and have an MBA in Accounting. I am writing to request you to vote against HR 616 as it is being used to extend regional centers.

First and foremost, this bill is not to extend the EB-5 visa program, which is permanent, it is to extend the regional center program, and this is opposed by DHS-OIG, USCIS - FDNS, ICE - HSI, Dept of State investigators, SEC, IRS - CID, FBI, etc. due to the facts mentioned below. Just today, DHS OIG released a news report that showed how Senator Harry Reid and Alejandro Mayorkas colluded to help 2 regional centers ILLEGALLY obtain EB-5 visas in a fraudulent manner. The summary of the report is available in a news release at http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/pr/2015/oigpr_032415.pdf.

The following are the reasons you and every single member of the house should vote against this bill:

1) ICE-HSI has strongly recommended that regional centers be permanently removed from the EB-5 visa program due to the fact that every single regional center has illegally marketed and sold securities overseas. You can read the redacted version of the confidential ICE memo recommending shutdown of the regional center program at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/EB5_ICE_fraud_memo.pdf or you can directly contact Senator Grassley's office to receive an unrestricted version of the confidential ICE memo. Not only are there strong national security concerns, but there is rampant securities fraud, securities law violations, money laundering and conflict of interest seen in the regional center program. You can also review the DHS OIG Report on regional centers in the EB-5 visa program at http://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2014/OIG_14-19_Dec13.pdf  in order to confirm that I speak the truth.

2) SEC has also advised EB-5 visa investors to avoid regional centers due to the fact that securities fraud is quite common in the regional center program. See the SEC memo at http://www.sec.gov/investor/alerts/ia_immigrant.htm

3) I've personally checked with CSRC and can confirm that out of the over 500 regional centers that have marketed and sold securities in China, not even one has done so in a legal manner. Chinese law requires that any marketing or sale of securities in China be done only after receiving approval from the CSRC, and you are welcome to personally check with CSRC that none of these regional centers has lawfully offered or sold securities in China. Similarly, regional centers have also illegally marketed and sold securities in India, Russia, Ukraine, Mexico, GCC countries, etc. You are welcome to hold a public hearing on this and I will fly over to DC and testify under oath that regional centers have illegally marketed and sold securities worth over $10 BILLION dollars, and caused capital loss worth BILLIONS of dollars to EB-5 visa investors. If you don't trust me, please ask the regional centers to offer CPA audited financials for review so that you can confirm that capital loss is almost certain when EB-5 visa investors invest in regional centers. Do you want to say that you support a program whose beneficiaries routinely violate the laws of foreign nations as a standard business practice?

4) Regional Centers usually engage in undisclosed conflict of interest, by buying or procuring goods and services from related parties at inflated prices, due to which losses are induced, and these losses are unfairly passed on to EB-5 visa investors.

5) Regional centers offer inflated and unrealistic employment generation figures in order to justify green cards. They have an unfair advantage over Direct Investments as they can count indirect jobs, and the GAO audits show that usually those indirect jobs aren't created.

6) Regional centers usually launder funds in order to move them from China. For instance, Chinese citizens can only remit USD 50,000 per year, and in order to circumvent China's currency controls, they launder funds through their friends and family and send their funds to the US. This means that according to both Chinese and US law, those funds are laundered and illicit, and thus subject to seizure and forfeiture under the AML statutes. However, instead of seizing these funds, we help the Chinese launder them through regional centers and give them green cards as an added bonus.

7) Most of the EB-5 visa investors from China, Russia and India are using illicit funds in order to fraudulently obtain EB-5 visas. EB-5 visa investors have to furnish a paper trail, and most of them furnish forged and fraudulent documents in order to conceal the illicit origins of their funds. I suggest that you can check with ICE-HSI to confirm that money laundering is quite rampant in the regional center program, with over 90% of the funds being the proceeds of crimes such as drug trafficking, corruption, intellectual property theft, etc.

8) There are numerous instances where regional centers have illegally and fraudulently obtained EB-5 visas for their investors at the behest of politicians such as Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Terry McAuliffe, etc. Just search online for terms such as "Tony Rodham + EB-5 visa + Alejandro Mayorkas" or "Harry Reid + EB-5 visa + Alejandro Mayorkas" etc.

9) Most EB-5 visa investors who invest in regional centers do not get a permanent green card, and you can confirm this by asking the USCIS IIO to furnish records in order for you to independently verify this. As they fail to help investors in getting a permanent green card, it is better to shut down the regional center program.

Due to the fact that we know that regional centers only offer and sell securities illegally and violate the law by doing so, and due to the fact that they engage in rampant fraud and conflict of interest, I urge you to vote against this bill.

I thank you in advance for your kind co-operation and remain,

Yours truly

Mohammed Shaikh, MBA (Accounting), Certified Fraud Examiner

Phone: +1 407 535 0616

IRS - CID and ICE have started arrests for money laundering and fraud by EB-5 visa investors who chose regional centers. (HH, JTAB)

I saw a news story published today (see link http://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/newcastle-woman-charged-with-immigrant-investor-fraud/ ) about how ICE and IRS - CID indicted an EB-5 visa investor couple for money laundering and visa fraud using forged documents. The ICE website is a lot more detailed on the prison time facing EB-5 visa investors who use forged documents and / or launder funds (see link http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/seattle-area-chinese-immigrant-charged-scamming-us-investor-visa-program ).

As I've mentioned earlier in my posts, IRS - CID have also been reviewing all EB-5 visa petitions involving regional centers, but unlike the SEC that asked for the EB-5 visa investor's funds to be refunded, IRS - CID usually seizes funds and assets, and they already know that they easily seize over USD 5 BILLION in laundered funds deposited by EB-5 visa investors in escrow accounts as well as an additional $12-28 BILLION that they have already moved over to the US. Most EB-5 visa investors fail to realize that when the IRS - CID gets involved, funds are usually subject to forfeiture. The upcoming EB-5 visa stakeholder's conference is expected to show a continuing trend of growing backlog of petitions, very long approval times and increased denial rates. I believe over 10,000 EB-5 visa investors will very soon become intimately familiar with the money laundering statutes that authorize the seizure of ALL assets and funds, and not just the invested funds of an EB-5 visa investor.

It is now common knowledge that ICE - HSI and USCIS - FDNS teams are scrutinizing EB-5 visa petitions a lot more diligently than they used to, and they are actually going back and comparing documents such as bank statements, tax records etc. submitted by EB-5 visa investors to the original documents from the investor's home country. What was not known so commonly till now is that IRS - CID were also investigating, and now that we've seen the first known case of asset seizure, we can only expect to see thousands more such cases. My clients and competitors would always wonder why is it that I mentioned agencies such as the FBI, IRS - CID and Dept. of State, but the fact is, they've been investigating and just take their own sweet time in moving. The investigators at Treasure and Justice usually seize all asset, and in easy cases such as poorly laundered funds, the process for asset seizure is quick and easy when it comes to EB-5 visa petitions filed through regional centers.

Since 2012, ICE has officially recommended banning regional centers from the EB-5 visa program and actually said "there can be no safeguards that can be put in place that will ensure the integrity of the regional center model." See link at https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2013/12/19/senate-section/article/s9001-2  Even the SEC warns EB-5 visa investors to avoid 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 using EB-5 visa or L1A + EB-1C visa, 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

EB-5 visa investors need to remember that at-risk investment does NOT require a RISKY investment. One more new case emerges of 27 EB-5 visa investors who lost their time and money by investing in regional centers.

I just read one more sad story of 27 EB-5 visa investors who lost their time and money by making the mistake of investing in a regional center. See story at http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/1/30/chinas-louisiana-purchase-new-orleans-own-battle-of-algiers.html

Since 2012, ICE has officially recommended banning regional centers from the EB-5 visa program and actually said "there can be no safeguards that can be put in place that will ensure the integrity of the regional center model." See link at http://www.smartbusinessbroker.com/EB5_ICE_fraud_memo.pdf, and also see the Congressional debate at https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2013/12/19/senate-section/article/s9001-2  Even the SEC warns EB-5 visa investors to avoid regional centers. See link http://www.sec.gov/investor/alerts/ia_immigrant.htm

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

One more US government organization warns EB-5 visa investors about the fraud committed by regional centers. Genuine Direct Investments are the safest choice for EB-5 visa investors.

I read an article about a report recently released by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which raises serious questions about America's EB-5 visa program. 

  (see link to article at http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/report-surge-chinese-investment-raises-fraud-risks-29240827). 

The report says that fraud against EB-5 visa investors is very commonly committed by regional centers, and this is exactly what I've been saying for the past 8 years. Since 2012, ICE has officially recommended banning regional centers from the EB-5 visa program and actually said "there can be no safeguards that can be put in place that will ensure the integrity of the regional center model." See link at https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/2013/12/19/senate-section/article/s9001-2  Even the SEC warns EB-5 visa investors to avoid regional centers. See link http://www.sec.gov/investor/alerts/ia_immigrant.htm

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