The Growth of EB-5 in Vietnam
Chris Dao is the lively director of U.S. Investment Services, a
Vietnamese EB-5 consultancy company. Since 2009, Dao and his
team have been matching Vietnamese investors with compatible
EB-5 projects in the United States. Dao, however, is not new to
the U.S. investment gameāhe began his career over 20 years
ago working with U.S. real estate in Atlanta, Georgia. He has
since returned to Vietnam, bringing with him years worth of
insight into the American market.
We caught up with Dao, one of his prospective investors,
and editorial board member Kate Kalmykov for a delightful
afternoon during his recent trip to California to meet with
project principals. Charming and personable, it is no wonder
that a man who prides himself on building relationships has
been able to build a successful EB-5 outfit in Vietnam.
A conversation with
Chris Dao
of USIS
Staff: How did you get your start in EB-5?
Chis Dao: I was living and working in real estate in the United
States in the late 2000s when I first learned about EB-5. I returned
to Vietnam in 2008 to take care of my mother who was ill, and
I spoke to some of my colleagues and friends in Vietnam and
found that many people have an interest in EB-5. This gave me
the confidence to relocate back to Vietnam and start my business.
Through my research I found that every year thousands of
Vietnamese students want to study abroad and that the United
States is their number one choice. For a long time I have had
the dream that Vietnamese youth would be able to get higher
education in United States. I learned about many advantages of
EB-5 over student visas. After a year of my own due diligence
I started U.S. Investment Services (USIS), which was the first
consultancy group in Vietnam that primarily focused on EB-5.
Staff: Vietnamese demand for EB-5 has been growing over the
past four to five years. Do you think that growth will continue?
CD: I strongly believe it will continue to grow tremendously in
the next couple of years. Each year I am getting more interest in
the program. One of the main reasons is that we build up our
reputation. We have a successful record and we get repeat clients
and referral business, and that is our strength.
88
EB5 INVESTORS MAGAZINE