WINNERS LISTED ALPHABETICALLY
TOP IMMIGRATION AT TORNEYS
ELSIE HUI ARIAS
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS
EB5 INVESTORS MAGAZINE
E
lsie Hui Arias is a partner
of Stone Grzegorek &
Gonzalez LLP (“SGG”), a full-
service immigration law firm in
Los Angeles, California. She has
been certified as a specialist in
immigration and nationality law by the State Bar of California
since 2007 and has particular expertise in EB-5 investor
and business immigration. She advises regional centers
in preparing investment offerings, applying for initial and
amended regional center designations, and developing
strategies in tackling complex issues that emerge during the
EB-5 process. She is a graduate of the University of California
at Berkeley and the University of California at Davis School of
Law.
HOW DO YOU THINK THE EB-5
PROGRAM SHOULD BE REFORMED?
The EB-5 program is long overdue for critical reform to
ensure the integrity of regional center participants, as well as
to advance and safeguard the due process and interests of
individual EB-5 investors who have – in good faith – invested
their savings and family’s future in the United States.
Congress should also finally make the EB-5 program
permanent, as it serves as a critical source of investment
capital and generates job creation, which is exceptionally
important given the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the
U.S. economy. Neither developers nor investors will invest
time or resources in a program that lacks stability.
WHAT NEW TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING
IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY?
COVID-19 ravaged much of the economy, especially the
hospitality industry, which significantly benefited from
EB-5 capital. We are seeing distressed projects where hotel
revenues have plummeted, imperiling operations and job
creation, or where construction has stalled due to shelter-in-
place orders or disruption in the flow of EB-5 funding or senior
financing.
Also, as a result of pandemic-related travel restrictions to
the United States, immigration through the EB-5 category
essentially halted in the latter half of FY 2020. But Q1,
2021, presents a brighter outlook, with the availability of
vaccinations, reopening of local economies, and resumption
of visa processing at U.S. consulates.
EDWARD BESHARA
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS
EB5 INVESTORS MAGAZINE
E
dward Beshara is with the
Beshara PA Global Migration
Law Firm, which was established
in 1983. He has offered approvable
and successful solutions via his
firm to EB-5 investors and their
families, and successfully handled EB-5 direct and regional
center projects.
Beshara is a member of the IIUSA (Invest in the USA) New
Investor Markets and Best Practices Committees as well
as being on the Advisory Committee and Task Force of the
Investment Migration Council (IMC) in Geneva, Switzerland.
He is a former adjunct professor in business immigration
law at the University of Florida’s College of Law. He was the
recipient of the IIUSA 2019 Award for Economic Advancement
"Innovator Award".
HOW DO YOU THINK THE EB-5
PROGRAM SHOULD BE REFORMED?
adhered to. USCIS should review the EB-5 adjudicate exemplar
project approval within 60 days. Expedited processing of
I-526 petitions within 30 days and processing for conditional
permanent residency status within 60 days. Then there
would be an increase in economic activity, a decrease in
unemployment and substantial benefit to the U.S.
WHAT NEW TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING
IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY?
The impact of the COVID pandemic has created a downturn
in economic activity within the U.S. and globally. Therefore,
potential EB-5 investors are currently concerned about
protecting their wealth. EB-5 investors have maintained and
increased their wealth by investing in stocks which are on their
countries or other countries stock exchange and in real estate.
U.S. companies can provide a loan to the EB-5 investors in U.S.
dollars against the EB-5 investors assets to commit to an EB-5
project. There is a trend, that the EB-5 investors would like to
control their own funds in their own EB-5 projects.
It is imperative that the EB-5 laws should require independent
due diligence, compliance and integrity provisions to be
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