The Security and Peace of Mind of Escrow
In my experience, there are two concerns that stand out in the minds of immigrant investors: the success of their application an the security of their investment.
The arrangement of escrow, offered by a few regional centers–NobleOutreach and CMB Export among them–goes a long way towards answering both of these concerns.
No EB-5 applicant wants to make the required investment, see it lose value, and then have their Green Card application denied. Escrow ensures that this could never happen.
If you are not familiar with the term, escrow is a legal arrangement according to which a person‘s assets can be held by a trusted third party–often a bank–until the terms of an contract are satisfied, at which point the third party will transfer the assets to whomever the contract designates. In other words, the EB-5 investor signs a contract with the regional center, which says that, once the investor‘s I-526 application is approved in the United States, the funds will be transferred to the regional center and fully invested in the approved business enterprise. If, on the other hand, USCIS denies the application, the funds will be returned to the investor.
One of the best things about this arrangement is that it still satisfies the “at risk” requirement of the EB-5 program. For the investors who work with a regional center that offers escrow, this makes for a more secure application process.