"... Since I was able to get the investment money , the program seemed to me the easiest way to legally get over to this country ."
Pablo Herdener Munoz , 44 , of Chile immigrated to the United States for safety reasons and better opportunities for his children .
“ In my country there is increasing instability ,” he said . “ I wanted to move to the U . S . and since I was able to get the investment money , the program seemed to me the easiest way to legally get over to this country .” Munoz applied for the I-526 in May of 2013 , was able to move to the U . S . two years later and then completed the I-829 process in June 2017 . When finding out the family ’ s I-526 was approved and moving to the land of the free were their most unforgettable memories from their EB-5 journey , he said .
WHAT DID YOU CHOOSE TO INVEST IN AND WHY ?
I invested in the San Jose Marriott Hotel Project in California through the EB5 Capital Regional Center . I bet on this project and regional center because its perfect record , having a successful rate of both I-526 and I-829 filings as well as investment money back from its first projects . The I-526 process took about 20 months .
HOW WAS YOUR LIFE IN CHILE AND WHAT DID YOU WORK WITH ?
I ’ m an Industrial Engineer with an MBA from the U . S . I worked for my family ’ s company for more than 10 years and then partially owned it . At the EB-5 decision moment , I didn ’ t reach an agreement about how to continue the company , so I sold my part and got the investment money . And once I ’ ve got the I-526 approval , I sold all my Chilean assets , including my primary home , and moved with my wife and three teenage kids .
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE DURING THE EB-5 PROCESS ?
Finding trustable and professional people to get advice from . This is why I ’ m sharing my experience . Also , the more-than-desirable time the process is taking at the government level .
WHAT DO YOU WORK WITH AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE NOW ?
I live in San Diego in California , where I own a small car repair shop with eight full-time workers . I ’ m also getting certificates to become a commercial airline pilot .
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER INVESTORS WHO WANT TO USE THE EB-5 PROGRAM ?
Get the project through a reputable regional center with a clean history and projects that have been through the whole cycle as well as a good immigration attorney specialized in EB-5 , even though it ’ s expensive . Also , try to collect all documents , such the fund sources in advance .
"... Since I was able to get the investment money , the program seemed to me the easiest way to legally get over to this country ."
WHAT BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES DO YOU THINK EB-5 INVESTORS FROM CHILE AND LATIN AMERICA ARE FACED WITH ?
Regarding Chile , the main benefit is that there is a good relationship between both countries since both countries have open economies , which make it easier with the fund transfers and exporting goods and services both ways . The main challenges , and I believe this is for the whole Latin American continent , are the language barriers and some institutional issues such as corruption . Besides this , another challenge could be the taxation problem that could arise if the investor has income or business from both the U . S . and the home country , such as double taxation , because Chile doesn ’ t have an agreement yet .
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE ?
Keep going with what I ’ m already doing , get a second job as commercial pilot and buy a rental property once I get my EB-5 investment money back . Personally , I ’ d like to become a U . S . citizen when possible and finish raising my kids and getting them the best possible education . For them , there are a lot more opportunities over here .
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