There are many compelling reasons why South Africans would want to move to the US – from quality of life considerations to the business-friendly environment, world class healthcare and education opportunities.<\/p>\n
And for wealthy South Africans, the US-government approved EB-5 investor visa programme is the fastest and safest way to obtain a green card and ultimately citizenship in the US. This is according to Carel van der Merwe, Director of LCR Capital<\/a><\/strong>, an EB-5 investment visa firm.<\/p>\n To qualify, the investor must be able to invest US$ 500,000 (R7.4 million) in a government approved project that creates at least 10 new US jobs. \u201cApart from being able to demonstrate access to the necessary funding, the only other requirement is that applicants must have a well-documented source of funds and no criminal record,\u201d van der Merwe explains.<\/p>\n Investors are not subject to any lottery and there is no age, skills or educational requirement. \u201cThis makes the EB-5 visa the safest and quickest immigration option for a family seeking a Green Card or an alternative residency plan into the US.\u201d<\/p>\n LCR Capital\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> investment projects are government approved and it usually takes around 18 months from the time of the investment to obtain your US Green Card. \u201cShould you decide not to proceed, or your green card is refused, your investment is returned to you,\u201d said van der Merwe. \u201cThe investments in LCR real estate projects are structured as 5-year loans with ample safeguards built in to ensure that the investor\u2019s $500,000 is returned at maturity\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThose qualifying for a Green Card via the EB-5 programme have the right to live, work, study or build a business anywhere in the US, with access to the finest medical facilities and universities at the same cost a US citizen would pay. All family members are eligible to qualify for US citizenship after a period of approximately five years of permanent residency.\u201d<\/p>\n Applicants should also be aware that the Trump administration is currently overhauling immigration regulations and it\u2019s likely that the minimum investment threshold will soon double to around US$1million. To take advantage of the existing requirements, it\u2019s important that applicants apply sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n LCR Capital recently teamed up with FinGlobal<\/a><\/strong> to jointly offer EB-5 and emigration related advice to South Africans. FinGlobal<\/a>, which is majority owned by the Bidvest Group, can help with financial emigration, tax structuring and clearances, tax exchange control and forex dealings.<\/p>\n According to FinGlobal\u2019s<\/a><\/strong> CEO, Ryno Viljoen, there has been an increased interest among their clients looking to move to the US. \u201cWe look forward to teaming up with LCR to offer a comprehensive solution for families looking to emigrate to the US\u201d said Viljoen.<\/p>\n The joint LCR Capital<\/a><\/strong> and FinGlobal<\/a><\/strong> roadshow dates are as follows:<\/p>\nLCR Capital\u2019s<\/a> investment projects<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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