US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is soliciting public feedback about the EB-5 immigrant investor program until May 8, 2014. USCIS established an “Idea Community” several months ago to broaden its outreach to stakeholders on a variety of topics. In a recent EB-5 stakeholder’s meeting held April 23, 2014, USCIS said it would solicit more input about the program overall as it contemplates forthcoming regulatory changes designed to address these issues: a) combating fraud, b) improving current regulations, c) substantive eligibility requirements and d) procedural filing requirements. This is a chance to be an advocate to help shape the future of this program. To participate in the Idea Community, however, one needs to set up an account with the online system. Once logged in, look for Active Campaigns on the left, which lists the EB-5 program. Participants can start an idea thread, vote in favor or against other ideas, and otherwise provide further commentary.

A quick review of the postings shows that many of the comments have to do with delays, both for the initial I-526 petition and the I-829 petition to remove conditions, both of which are running at about 11 months. Similarly, there are complaints about the lengthy time to adjudicate regional center project applications. Other issues include requiring more oversight about transfer of funds and authentication of documents, especially from China, use of SEC FINRA and Reg D rules, documentation of job creation, need for rules about transitioning between E-2 nonimmigrant treaty investor to EB-5 permanent investor status, and the need for premium processing.