EB-5: More than Two Decades of Immigrant Investors Engaging in Equity Crowdfunding

Within Sports and Entertainment Immigration, there exist a variety of visa classifications that can be utilized, and one of the less frequent categories of permanent residence (a/k/a “green cards”) is the EB-5 classification. Intended for individuals who wish to enter the U.S. as permanent residents by way of a substantial investment, it may be useful to a wide range of disciplines and industries. However, because of the degree of scrutiny applied to the EB-5 program by the media, the SEC, USCIS, and many other outlets, it is imperative that the practitioner who attempts to utilize this category of green card application be well aware of the fundamentals. And for the practitioner who never handles immigration matters, but works with real estate developers, sports teams, hedge funds, governmental agencies or any other client that may require funding, this could prove to be an incredibly valuable program.

In this course, Michael Cataliotti, a New York City-based entertainment attorney who specializes in business immigration, entertainment transactions, and corporate governance, provides an overview of the EB-5 program from the parties involved with each application and the applicable industries to the necessary elements for a successful adjudication.

Learning Objectives:

I.    Identify the nature of the EB-5 program and when it may be utilized

II.   Review the parties to every transaction and some of the most common client disciplines the 

practitioner may encounter

III.  Ascertain the fundamental elements of each application and what makes the average one stronger