Visa Categories

Investors

An alien who invests one million dollars in a business enterprise which creates at least ten new jobs for American citizens or previously admitted resident aliens is eligible to apply for an investor visa. In certain targeted areas of high unemployment, a five hundred thousand dollar investment creating at least ten new jobs for U.S. citizens or previously admitted resident aliens would qualify for an investor's visa.

The investment can be in a new enterprise or in an existing business. If the investment is in an existing enterprise, the investment must result in an increase of at least 40 percent in the net worth or in the number of employees employed by the business.

Applying for the investor's visa is a two-step process...

First, the investor must file an I-526 employment-based visa petition on his or her own behalf with the CIS office having jurisdiction over the investment site. Please see the CIS website at www.uscis.gov for further information. The spouse and child (under 21) of an investor are also eligible for visas based on the same petition.

Second, The U.S. Department of State, National Visa Center (NVC) receives the approved I-526 from the CIS.  NVC contacts the applicant and petitioner with instructions for submitting the appropriate processing fees.  After the appropriate processing fees are paid, NVC contacts the applicant and petitioner to request that the necessary immigrant visa documentation be submitted to the NVC.

Applicants who have completed the necessary forms and submitted documents to the National Visa Center (NVC) for their visa appointments, will be scheduled for interviews.

Approximately one month before the applicant’s scheduled interview appointment with a consular officer, the applicant will receive an appointment letter containing the date and time of the applicant’s visa interview along with instructions for obtaining a medical examination.

NVC cannot guarantee how long it may be before the applicant is scheduled for an appointment for a visa interview.  Please call or write to the NVC (NVC Contact Information) if the circumstances of the applicant change.  For example:

• Change of address
• Change of marital status
• Death of petitioner
• Birth or adoption of additional children, or
• NVC has requested additional information

Learn more about the processing in NVC

The alien investor and accompanying family members will have conditional resident status for two years. Ninety days before the expiration date printed on the alien registration card, the investor must file an I-829 petition with the CIS office to gain permanent resident status. To qualify, the investor must show that the investment was made and that the enterprise has since been in continuous operation.

The U.S. Embassy is closed on both U.S. and Korean holidays.

Updated April 18, 2008