美国IIUSA提交国会新提案

IIUSA于美国时间11月2日提交了一份EB-5区域中心项目长期授权及改革的新提案。这也是近几个月来各种提案中的一种建议。

首先跟大家介绍一下IIUSA。全称Invest In the USA，中文名称“美国EB-5投资移民行业协会”。它是专门为EB-5区域中心项目而成立的会员制非盈利性行业贸易协会。会员包括来自世界各地的律师、经纪人、顾问、开发商、经济学家、移民中介等等。目前为止拥有超过290个区域中心及220名会员，算得上是名副其实的EB-5 行业协会。

IIUSA昨天递交给国会一份由IIUSA董事会一致赞同且有83%参与投票会员支持的提案。该提案主要强调了EB-5区域中心项目改革的以下四个方面（IIUSA以前的提案中涵盖过此次提案中没有讨论到的部分，所以不再赘述）：

1.TEA（目标就业区）：高失业率TEA必须是一个由不超过12个相邻的较小分区或人口普查统计区所组成的地理范围或者政治分区。人口为零的分区不得被用来连接周边分区。

2.最低投资额度：TEA-80万美金；非TEA-100万美金（均指区域中心项目）。

3.创造就业计算方式：间接创造的岗位不受地理区域限制；非EB-5资金对项目所产生的经济影响力将受限；对目前的计算方式所做的改动也将受限。

4.有效日期：EB-5项目改革将不影响已经递交I-526申请的投资人，即只对未来的新投资人产生影响。确保在9月30日至新法通过并实施前阶段递交案件的投资人仍沿用现行法律。

这份提案当然在行业内有一定重要性，但也仅仅是众多提案中的一份。在国会通过表决前我们谁也不清楚EB-5新法改革的具体措施。能确定的只有一点，那就是—想在涨价之前做出申请的EB-5投资人需要立刻行动！

以下为英文提案原文节选：

•TargetedEmployment Areas (TEAs):High unemployment TEAs must be a geographic area orpolitical subdivision consisting of no more than 12 contiguous census tracts orsmaller subdivisions. Zero population subdivisions may not be used to establishcontiguous connection between census tracts not otherwise connected.

oThis proposal ismodeled on the state of California's current approachand strikes abalance between the restrictive approach ofS. 1501and moreexpansiveapproach foundinS.2115 which represent the two ends of the spectrum in this debate.

•Minimuminvestment amount:Newminimum investment of $800,000 in TEAs and $1,000,000 in non-TEAs.

oNarrowing thedelta between TEA and non-TEA investments should make it more feasible forprojects in either category to raise capital, while the middle ground on TEAsabove would provide sufficient opportunity for urban areas to qualify as TEAs,as happens today in much of California. The $200,000 difference is less thanhalf the difference currently proposed in S. 1501 ($800,000 and $1,200,000) andstrikes a better overall balance in average amount than H.R. 3370, whichproposed $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 as the TEA and non-TEA amounts,respectively.Tobe successful, the EB-5 program must becompetitive with global immigrantinvestor programs in price and risk. A balanced two-tier systemwould help keepthe Program competitiveglobally while giving both urban and rural areas theability to compete for EB-5 investments.

•Job creation methodologies:Nogeographic limitation on indirect job creation, limit on non-EB-5 capitalcontributions to project economic impact, or other changes to how job creationis currently measured.

oThe ability tocount indirect jobs in a manner consistent with regional economic developmentgoals and the purpose of the EB-5 Regional Center Program is vitally importantto maintain the utility of the Program. Maintaining the current policy on jobcreation will ensure thatthe true economic impact of the EB-5Program is taken into account for investors seeking to qualify for theirimmigration benefits..

•Effective dates:Programreforms do not apply to any investors who filed an I-526 petition before thedate of enactment (i.e., only applyprospectively to investors).

oEnsuring thatall I-526 petitions are adjudicated using the rules under which they werefiled, including those filed after 9/30 and the date of enactment for newlegislation, is imperative to maintain investor confidence in due process, theAmerican legal system—and as a result -- the EB-5 Program.Any retroactiveapplication of any new rules on investors who have filed I-526 petitions underthe existing rules would be reminiscent of 1998 when new rules from precedentsetting Administrative Appeals Offices (AAO) decisions were appliedretroactively. The resulting situation effectively froze the Program for morethan four years as litigation proceeded and investor confidence disintegrated.The most important difference between 1998 and 2015 is the number of investorswho would be affected, with well over 13,000 petitions currently pending atUSCIS.