Q: Just a day ago I received a call from a gentleman calling from Istanbul, Turkey. He was interested in investing in my business and mentioned an EB-5 Immigrant Investor program. I had not heard of this type of program and so I could not speak knowledgeably about this and told him I would research the program and get back to him. Are you familiar with this program? It says the minimum investment is $500,000 but obviously there are a lot of hoops to jump thru.

Lee — Northern California

A: By Nelson Davis — Small Business Expert
The fastest way to get a resident visa for the U.S. other than marriage is to invest in or create a business. Just like the character in the movie "Jerry MaGuire" the appropriate phrase is "Show me the money." The EB-5 program has been around since the 1990s and is intended to help business owners access funds on a world wide basis to grow their enterprises. The investment has to create or maintain at least 10 jobs and there are other requirements. The big question for you as a business owner is what does the investor want other than the visa. How much control do you have to give up? Do you like the person as much as you covet their dollars? Think this one through carefully before saying yes.

Source: Nelson Davis Productions