Orlando's Lake Buena Vista & Spa Resort Designated First EB-5 "Regional Center" in Florida by USCIS
The EB-5 program was created by Congress as part of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (“INA”) of 1990. Under section 203(b)(5) of the INA, 10,000 immigrant investor visas (green cards or EB-5 visas) per year are available to qualified individuals seeking permanent resident status on the basis of their engagement in a new commercial enterprise. Of the 10,000 investor visas available annually, 5,000 are set aside for those who apply under a pilot program involving a designated “Regional Center.” There are more than 20 such designated EB-5 programs nationwide. “Regional Center” is an entity, organization or agency that has been approved as such by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (“USCIS”). “Regional Center” designation focuses on a specific geographic area within the United States and seeks to promote economic growth through increased export sales, improved regional productivity, creation of new jobs, and increased domestic capital investment. The Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa Resort has become Florida’s first designated EB-5 Regional Center by USCIS. The designation, known as the “EB-5” immigrant investor program, allows foreign nationals to become lawful permanent residents (LPR or green card holders) of the United States by investing at least a $1 million in a project that creates at least 10 jobs. Lake Buena Vista & Spa Resort plans to build 1,300 condo-hotel units. The resort is planned for 1,875 furnished resort condo units ranging from 1,080-2,170 square feet, along with dining, a fitness center, spa-salon, aquatic center, and other amenities. The EB-5 program will help to finance the construction of a new 152-unit building at the resort.
