If you’re thinking about heading to the land of the Red, White and Blue, and you intend to do so via the famed EB-5 Visa, the clock is ticking.

For those who aren’t exactly up to speed, let’s start with the basics.

The EB-5 visa, which was launched in the 1990s, is a very popular option for investors wishing to emigrate to the United States. Investors qualify for green cards, and ultimately US citizenship, through their investment in a government-approved development.

That development creates employment in the US, and the investors (who aren’t required to have any involvement in the day-to-day running of the development) reap a number of big benefits.

The key benefits of the EB5 programme:

• Secure green cards and US citizenship for you, your spouse and children under 21, to live, study, work, start a business, or retire anywhere in the USA. Once you have your citizenship, parents and siblings can apply.
• As an investor, you will pay local tuition rates for schooling and tertiary education for your children, which are between 30% and 60% cheaper than the international rates, plus your children retain the right to continue to live and work in the US, once they have completed their studies.
• It really is an investment-based programme. Your full investment will be repaid to you at the end of the investment period, plus interest of 0.25% p.a, so the only actual expenses are the US$50 000 processing fees and the US immigration attorney’s fees

If you have the $500 000 investment, it really is the ideal programme for South Africans looking to emigrate to the US.

So, why is the clock ticking? South Africans need to ensure that they apply before November 21, 2019. From that date forward, the investment amount increases rather sizeably.

For prime property investments, the amount rises to $1,8 million. For development zone properties, the amount rises to $900 000.

We’ve run through a checklist of five questions that you need to ask before you embark on the process, but we’d recommend that you contact a reputable company for more information.

Immigration South Africa, with offices based in Cape Town, will be able to answer any further questions you have. You can speak to one of their immigration professionals on 021 001 2109, or email them at info@immigrationsouthafrica.com.