Chinese applicants for US investor visas reach annual limit  

中國赴美投資移民首現財政年度結束前名額用磬

據美國《世界日報》報道，美國國務院23日宣布，2014財政年度的中國投資移民名額(EB-5)已經全部用罄，這也是美國從1990年實施這項法案以來，第一次出現中國名額在財政年度結束前就用光的情形。[查看全文]

(ECNS) – The EB-5 visa program has been overwhelmed by wealthy Chinese people eager to get US green cards, the World Journal reports.

Charles Oppenheim, of the US Department of State, announced on August 23 that the program had already reached its quota for Chinese nationals applying for investor-immigrant visas for fiscal year 2014, which ends on September 30.

Oppenheim said it's the first time the number of Chinese applicants has reached the limit since the program started in 1990.

Any foreigner willing to invest at least $500,000 and create 10 jobs in the US is eligible to apply for an EB-5 visa.

Brian Su, director of Artisan Business Group, a consulting firm focusing on Sino-US trade and investment, said the program is limited to 10,000 visas each year. In fiscal year 2014, more than 8,000 were granted to Chinese investors and their spouses and children. That's a massive surge from 2004, when only 16 of the visas were issued to Chinese people, he said.

Su added that the time to obtain an EB-5 was only five months two years ago, and now it takes more than a year. A longer wait will definitely occur next year, he said.

According to the Association to Invest in the USA (IIUSA), in 2013, total investment by foreign investors reached $1.83 billion, and Chinese investors contributed to over 80 percent of that.

Big projects sponsored by Chinese investors include the Barclays Center at the Atlantic Yards Project in Brooklyn, New York, and the San Francisco Shipyards project.

Applicants who have already scheduled visa appointments will be unaffected by the announcement.