[dropcap]The[/dropcap] EB-5 immigrant investor visa is marketed differently to investors depending on their country of origin. For example, the EB-5 market in Brazil is vastly different from the EB-5 market in China.In China, EB-5 investors depend heavily on EB-5 migration agents, whereas, there is no such infrastructure set up in Brazil for investors to rely upon. Over decades, China built an intricate network of EB-5 relationships in order to raise millions in EB-5 capital from large groups of investors.The lack of a system combined with a general lack of EB-5 awareness, has EB-5 regional centers, project developers, and immigration attorneys spending a lot of money trying to figure out the best approach to attract EB-5 investors from Brazil.Why is there strong interest in marketing the EB-5 Program in Brazil?Brazil emerged as a top EB-5 country in fiscal year 2017, only following Mainland China and Vietnam, both of which now suffer from retrogression. This means that regional centers are looking for alternative sources of EB-5 capital and Brazil is the obvious place to market for that. Brazil is also attractive because of their high number of millionaire and billionaire households. With the addition of their business structures being similar to those in the U.S., Brazilians are also more willing to invest in higher risk projects than investors from China and other countries.How can regional centers and project developers effectively market to potential Brazilian investors?Brazilians interested in moving to the United States often conduct their own due diligence and decide what immigration path is best for their families. This means that marketing the EB-5 Program in Brazil using seminars isn’t very effective because they attract individuals without knowledge of the immigration options, whereas, Brazilians who wish to immigrate are typically already aware of their options. To find these potential investors who already have knowledge and interest in the EB-5 Program, regional centers and developers have had more success with marketing to Brazilians already residing in the U.S. on temporary visas such as the L-1 or the E-2 visas.Brazilians may seek out regional centers or immigration attorneys on their own. Regional centers and immigration attorneys may have a stronger chance of attracting these potential investors if they have options that appeal to them such as:

• Portuguese language capabilities
• Projects that can accept individual investors
• Small raise projects
• Projects with competitive returns on investment
• Projects with well-define exit strategies
• Referrals for global tax experts

Due to the similar structure of businesses in Brazil and the United States, Brazilian investors are able to more easily navigate the complex EB-5 Program. They are more direct about asking EB-5 professionals due diligence questions than countries such as China who depend on their agents to conduct much of the due diligence. Immigration attorneys may be surprised at how quickly Brazilian investors have all their documentation ready to file. For more information, send us a message. [formidable id="11" title="1"]