EB5 Investors Magazine "Top 25 Awards Edition" Volume 8 Issue 1 | Page 89

On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to use the word “risk,” but it was an investment of half a million dollars back then, and my son had to be on a separate application. So, it was half a million for me and my wife, and half a million for my son. In the end, it’s a lot of money, and the fact that funds are not guaranteed can cause a lot of apprehension. It almost felt like rolling the dice, but then I said to myself, “You know what? I have to do this for my son.” HOW DID YOU FIND THE RIGHT PROJECT TO INVEST IN? To be honest, one of the first questions I asked my agent was, “Can you suggest us a regional center that can offer a quick return of funds?” Of course, it is not that simple, but it just so happened that he got me in to the All Aboard Florida project. After we had filed for my son, I immediately filed for myself and my wife, as well. By then, we were at the tail end; we were probably the last subscribers of the project. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE EB-5 PROCESS? Everything went just fine from there. My son is already one and a half years into the residency program, and after another year or so, he will become a licensed physician in the state of Florida— where he wants to live and practice. I feel like destiny played a big part in our journey; my son heard about his approval from the U.S. Consulate General in Montreal the night before his very first interview for his residency program. And thanks to his green card situation, he was able to get 18 interviews at hospitals all over the country. He got into Blake Hospital in Bradenton, his first choice, so I'm extremely thankful I chose this path that led to my son obtaining a green card. IN TOTAL, HOW LONG HAS YOUR EB-5 JOURNEY LASTED SO FAR? I was told that the application process depends heavily on the applicant’s place of birth. My son’s place of birth is Canada, so it took him about two years. It has taken longer for me and my wife because our place of birth is India. We are expecting my son’s funds to come back very soon. As for our funds, it should hopefully happen sometime next year. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS EXPERIENCE TO OTHERS AROUND YOU? them has already gotten his approval, and a friend’s son is pretty much following in my son’s footsteps. He is also studying medicine in Ireland and is hoping to have his green card before graduation so that he can complete his medical residency in the United States. T h e reaso n w hy th e E B - 5 p ro g r a m is su c h a g rea t opportunity for medical school graduates is that if you are a permanent resident of the United States, you can apply to any hospital for your medical residency without the hospital having to sponsor you. If you don’t have that status, you limit yourself only to the hospitals that are willing to sponsor you. That’s not a risk one would want to take at a turning point in their career. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL NEW PETITIONERS IF YOU HAD A SINGLE PIECE OF ADVICE TO GIVE? I would tell them to go into this program only if they are willing to put the necessary effort into proving their source of funds. In my opinion, that is the biggest challenge investors have to face in this program, and it would be a futile exercise to take this path if you are not ready to prove your source of funds. WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY? I’m hoping that my son gets his I-829 approval by this summer. Our process is still ongoing, but what matters most is his career. My own plan for the future is hopefully to live semi-retired in Florida. IN GENERAL, WHAT’S YOUR OPINION OF THE EB-5 PROGRAM? All in all, it has been a great experience. I would highly recommend it to anybody who can foresee a career for themselves or their family in the United S tates. This applies to those who have the means, of course, since it is a big investment, but it’s still the most reasonable way of building a life in the U.S. Sure, there are other ways, but those can take as long as half your working life—and there’s no guarantee of success. This is part of the reason why I think EB-5 gives you peace of mind. You know that if you legitimately take all the right steps, and with due diligence, your green card will be waiting for you. I actually did share my experience with my friends, and three of them also applied for the EB-5 program! One of EB5INVESTORS.COM 89