Mark A Ivener, A Law Corporation

Category: EB-5


GAO Calls for Better Assessment of Fraud Risks, Economic Benefits From EB-5 Program

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report that calls for additional actions to better assess fraud risks and report economic benefits in the EB-5 program. The GAO noted that fraud risks are constantly evolving and that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continually identifies new fraud schemes, but the agency does not… Read More

USCIS Ombudsman Annual Report Notes Continuing RFE Issues

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Ombudsman’s Office has published the 2015 Annual Report. Highlights include: RFE issues. The Ombudsman’s Office reviews issues involving temporary nonimmigrant petitions (H-2A, H-2B, H-1B, L-1, and O-1), investor immigrant petitions (EB-5), other immigrant petitions, and employment authorization applications. The Annual Report states that the Ombudsman continues to be concerned… Read More

USCIS To Hold EB-5 Conference Call on June 4

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will hold a second engagement (conference call) in the informational series “EB-5 Interactive” on Thursday, June 4, 2015, from 1 to 2:15 p.m. (ET). The topic of discussion will be expenses that are includable (or excludable) for purposes of estimating job creation. Economists from the Immigrant Investor Program will… Read More

Increase in Ultra-High Net Worth Individuals and the EB-5 Visa Program

Credit Suisse, a financial holding company, released a report saying that there are 128,200 ultra-high net worth (UHNW) individuals in the world. To be classified as an UHNW, a person’s net worth must exceed $50 million. According to the report, the number of UHNW individuals has increased by 98,700 from what it was a year… Read More

SEC Charges Immigration Attorneys With Defrauding Investors Seeking U.S. Residence; SEC-USCIS Issue Joint Alert

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently charged a Los Angeles, California-based immigration attorney, his wife, and his law firm partner with conducting an investment scheme to defraud foreign investors trying to come to the United States through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. The SEC alleges that Justin Moongyu Lee, Rebecca Taewon Lee, and Thomas Edward… Read More