Buy a house, get citizenship?! Yes, it’s true
A reader sent along a story published in a Bulgarian newspaper about an outrageous-sounding scheme offered to foreigners: Invest in real estate. Win American citizenship. Yes, it’s true. And I’ve told you about it before. More on that in a minute.
From Bulgaria:
Investment in real estate in US guarantees a green card
16:58 Thu 15 Jan 2009 – Nick IlievThe purchase of a piece of property in America, a single-family house, a PUD (planned unit development) or a condo (flat within a condominium) will guarantee you and your family a green card. This is one of the extreme measures implemented to help stall the meteoric fall of the United States economy in light of the economic crisis, Bulgarian weekly Stroitelstvo Gradut reported on January 15.
Thirty-five accredited investors will have the opportunity to acquire real estate in the south-eastern state of Florida – by purchasing a house – they will be granted a green card for permanent residence and right of employment for the buyer himself and his/her entire family.
Additional conditions are that the prospective buyer must have a clean criminal record, a good credit record, the ability to present and prove a decent monthly income, and no outstanding financial obligations or credit liabilities. The purchase itself can be done either with cash, bank transfer or monthly instalments, but the financial resource must be proven legitimate.
The US government has allocated 10 000 such visas nation-wide for potential investors in real esate, under a programme approved by the US Congress. Florida’s is the first such programme that has actively been given the green light to commence. Specialists in the field argue that this is the best time to invest and purchase property in America, as prices in some states have been slashed by as much as 25 per cent. Experts argue that within three years’ time, however, the market will stabilise and prices will rise.
Would Congress really approve such a money-grubbing and potentially dangerous scheme?
You betcha. I first reported on the EB-5 program eight years ago this month and blogged about it 2 years ago. You will not be surprised to learn who the supporters of the program are. God save us from bipartisanship.
Flashback:
Jan. 24, 2001
American citizenship for sale?
Michelle Malkin
In his inaugural address, President George W. Bush issued a call to reinvigorate citizenship: “We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our backgrounds, lift us above our interests, and teach us what it means to be citizens. Every child must be taught these principles. Every citizen must uphold them.”
Bush can do his part by eliminating one of the greatest abuses of American citizenship: the immigrant investor visa program. It has spawned a niche market in skirting laws, scratching backs, and selling out.
This fraud-ridden scheme was created under an obscure section of the 1990 Immigration Act, signed by Bush’s father. Known as the EB-5 law, it allows wealthy foreigners to purchase green cards by investing between $500,000 and $1 million into new commercial enterprises or troubled businesses. After two years, foreign investors, their spouses, and children all receive permanent resident status – which allows them to contribute to U.S. political campaigns and provides a speedy gateway to citizenship.
Making political access and the privilege of citizenship available to the highest foreign bidder offends the very ideals Bush wants to promote. Arkansas Senator Dale Bumpers, a longtime critic of the program, noted: “All you need is green. You do not have to know anything about the poor and huddled masses that Emma Lazarus wrote about…How crassly we demean this precious blessing we call citizenship.”
Supporters of the program claimed it would attract substantial overseas investment to aid struggling American businesses. But the benefits of this economic development plan have gone mostly to former Immigration and Naturalization Service officials, who formed lucrative limited partnerships to cash in on their access.
Here’s how the racket worked: Immigrant investors paid token fees to these partnerships. The partnerships secured promissory notes for the remainder of the foreign investments, which were forgiven after investors received their permanent green cards. Former INS employees, working for these partnerships, aggressively lobbied their old colleagues to accept such bogus financial arrangements. As a result, according to an internal U.S. Justice Department investigative report, “aliens were paying $125K” instead of the required $500,000 to $1million minimum, and “almost all of the monies went to the General Partners and the companies who set up the limited partners.”
A Baltimore Sun investigation last year found “only a tiny fraction of the money ever made it to the companies seeking assistance.” Many of the distressed U.S. firms that the program intended to help have closed because they never received promised funding.
Steven Perlman, a New York City immigration lawyer who sued the government to disclose parts of the internal investigative report, told me last week that the EB-5 program became a “money-making machine.” That wouldn’t have been possible, Perlman notes, without political protection. One INS document indicates that officials worried about keeping “promises to the Hill.” When the agency finally moved to end fraud, “influential Members of Congress protested,” according to the New York Times.
Key supporters of the immigrant investor visa program included Democrat Sens. Paul Simon and Ted Kennedy. Republicans embraced it, too. Prescott Bush, W.’s uncle, was on the board of American Immigration Services, one of the leading visa vendors. So was former President Bush’s INS commissioner, Gene McNeary. And leading GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell worked closely with the woman who was instrumental in drafting the EB-5 law: Maria Hsia, a McConnell donor who later laundered more than $100,000 in illegal donations to the Democratic National Committee through a California Buddhist temple.
At the time Hsia was working for McConnell and others on the immigration bill, she also worked for a campaign fund-raising group called the Pacific Leadership Council. Hsia co-founded the PLC with Lippo Bank officials John Huang and James Riady, the chief figures in the Clinton-Gore Donorgate scandal convicted of campaign-finance crimes. At least six Lippo Bank officials have reportedly benefited from the EB-5 law.
Was this visas-for-sale program established to launder foreign funny money into our political system? We may never know for sure, but President Bush should shut down this suspicious pipeline now and stop the shameless pimping of Lady Liberty.
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I’d just as soon see these houses go to American citizens already in the country!! We need less incentives for foreigners to come here we have enough and need to close off all immigration both legal and illegal for the next several decades in MHO….our infrastucture and limited resources cannot continue to survive with the unlimited influx of immigrants….
You know I used to think there were some levels that even congress was incapable of sinking to…Silly me.
Sounds like a scam on foreign investors to me.
We better get the possible victims over here right away to testify. Now, to keep the burden down for the taxpayers we can have each of the witnesses kick in a few bucks towards the new Obama generational theft act of 2009. And, seeing how we are gonna have this new amnesty, there is no reason for those patriotic enough to turn in foreign criminals in foreign countries to go back!
It is possible to make almost everyone happy!
Obviously, the level to which congress can sink has not yet been reached. I fear new lows are just around the corner.
My father in law (mi suegro) is from Mexico.
He came legally. As did his brother. My wife’s Dad, sadly, votes Demonrat, but his brother, my wife’s Tio Fito, votes Republican.
BTW, about deporting immigrants and their children, per Wiki, Mrs. Malkin’s parents came to this country on student visas. You aren’t suggesting deporting Mrs. Malkin’s parents, are you?
Moby much?
Ed Mahmoud abu al-Kahoul
The troll has been banned.
I’m all for legal immigration, as long as the number of immigrants are limited to an amount the USA can safely absorb and assimilate. Not assimilate in such a way that people of Irish ancestry like myself can’t drink beer on St. Patrick’s Day, or people of Mexican ancestry can’t call their children “mija” or “mijo” and hit piñatas at parties, or Slavs can’t enjoy Frankie Yankovic music. (Guilty pleasure alert- I’m not a Slav, and I like watching Frankie Yankovic videos on U-Tube).
But I’d like at least a fair number of immigrants to be selected based on what they can do for the USA as much as what the USA can do for them. Doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers.
Well, I hate the idea as well and think it stinks. However, if I have the choice of taking the 50K lottery visa immigrants, who could be an uneducated illiterate non english speaking kid producing welfare recipient with good luck, or these guys form Bulgaria who can afford to purchase a house (please don’t tell me they also can have HUD $), I will take those with a little $ to buy a house. At least that plan provides some minimal standards for immigration. If we don’t overhaul the immigriaotn system and reduce the nubmers and apply reasonable minmal standards, this country is doomed.
So this is what our elected officials are doing on our behalf? This makes me sick.
The only overhaul we’ll see is to let anyone and everyone come here after everyone already here is granted citizenship. There is no way in hell the current congress will do anything remotely close to what would be good for this country. They want immigrants on the voter roles. Period. Whatever it takes to get those votes, they will do. What’s best for the country is irrelevant. What’s best for themselves is all that matters to them. That’s the reality of this issue.
Unfortunately, you are correct. The combination of the pols greed for power, the need to continue the SS ponzi scheme, businesses desire for cheap labor AND a larger domestic consumer base, PC, ethnic greivance group’s demands, chain migration, shift of the demographics and voter base from self reliance to socialsim, etc has put us on a path we will not deviate from. Until it is too late of course.
It won’t happen. This country won’t survive a single day without immigrants.
IMO we should increase the annual quota-based H-1B visas and attract more foreign students from China, Africa, India and Middle East. For example, at my university: Johns Hopkins (and other leading schools: Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, Yale), the majority of science and engineering doctoral degrees are awarded to foreign students.
Make sure they don’t have to prove employment or income.
Wait, we just tried that.
Never mind.
Why not?
You recall that manufacturing plant that got caught employing 500+ illegals? After they were rounded up, the manufacturer was inundated with job applications from us citizens. Seems the jobs illegals steal from Americans… Americans actually DO want.
This behemoth called the federal government is simply too large, corrupt and invasive to ever reform or manage effectively. It has taken on a sentient life of it’s own that even the crooked politicians can’t control, they only ride it to extract the maximum personal benefit. When they’ve had their fill, they bail off the beast and other crooks take their places. I believe we are looking at a system that is poisoned and unredeemable. You can’t take out the leaven once it’s in the bread.
On January 16th, 2009 at 2:43 pm, edelweiss said:
It won’t happen. This country won’t survive a single day without immigrants.
IMO we should increase the annual quota-based H-1B visas and attract more foreign students from China, Africa, India and Middle East. For example, at my university: Johns Hopkins (and other leading schools: Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, Yale), the majority of science and engineering doctoral degrees are awarded to foreign students.
Given the amount of money available to Al Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood etc. I can see this as a great way to import more terrorists.
Just because someone from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Somalia, Indonesia etc etc etc doesn’t have a criminal record doesn’t mean they aren’t terrorists.
Why bother with the charade? Just open the borders and let them all in. Look how well it worked for the E.U. /sarc
Load more ammo, civil war part deaux is not far away.
Dang it, I hate it when I miss a troll-banning.
Actually, edelweiss and I agree on something. The whole illegal torrent has taken the discussion away from serious immigration reform. I would approve of giving every science and engineering PhD a visa along with their diploma. The brainpower (and subsequent job creation) would improve this country economically – and if you like diversity, there you go. Keep illegals out, rationally choose those we want and increase the number of those we let in.
Politicians unfortunately simply want to buy votes by pandering to the illegals.
Which one? Chap – are you there?
The schools are there. They will provide economic assistance. Unfortunately, many Americans do not take advantage of the opportunities that exist. Study hard, get good grades, doors will open.
Whereas congress would rather increase the number of illegals we let in, and keep those we would rationally choose to stay out.
Of course that will work. Put nothing down by the house, make some payments, get your green card then default, and be on your way. Think anyone in the Obama world will do anything? Heck no, because by 2012 ACORN will have already registered them to vote.
We’re a sovereign country. We can accept who we want. Bring in the high achievers and the hell with world opinion.
Sorry to disappoint you, Aloha. I remain off the radar screen.
Exactly. It’ll drive you crazy if you let it.
Darn!
I missed the fun.
Stealth. I approve.
A concept that too many American students and their parents don’t appear to understand.
Me, too(I always do). Who was it?
So as to accomodate the business lobby which thrive on cheap labor who can be intimidated, the union lobby who foresee new members and the union dues coming in, and the polictal lobby who see millions of new Democrats created once the new amnesty program passes and bestows citizenship upon them.
It’ wasn’t chap. He’s a conservative, but doesn’t know it yet.
US (estimated) Population as I write:
305,627,500 (link)
Annual (approx.) Growth Rate: 1%-1.5%
Number of Persons added annually (approx) : 2.5-3.0 million
Rank Internationally: 3rd (following China, India)
Breakdown of increase:
Approx. 55%-60% from legal immigration (work visas, family unification, etc)
Approx. 40%-45% from illegal immigration
:
:
etc.
Two questions go begging –
1. How many (net) jobs have been created lately?
2. Do we really need more people at a time when we can’t support them?
I guess all those illegals that broke the bank with foreclosures now will become citizens retroactively…SUET!!!!!
If corporate tax was cut to zero, business would boom and there would be a demand.
That’s because “those we would rationally choose” would likely vote Republican, since those legit immigrants would likely want to keep most of the fruits of their own labor.
Everbody loves chapoutier. He purrs when you pet him, but he does have fangs.
Re: AlohaGuy –
Actually, that used to be the operative model for the aspiring American worker. Unfortunately, globalization and outsourcing have proven that it no longer holds true. In many cases, those who studied hard, got good grades and worked hard were specifically singled out for termination because of it (and being of native US birthplace /citizenship). I’ve witnessed the occurrence empirically with my own eyes.
…G’Day, just the same.
I’m all for legal immigration, provided it meets some concrete and immediate need of the American people. Which is to say that the vast majority of legal immigration, such as the crazy sheme Michell describes above, should be promptly banned. Regardless of whether they can safely assimilate.
Unless you believe in a one world government, we need to tightly regulate our immigration. If we removed our antiquated and repressive tax system, our economy would flourish. I’m surprised the unions don’t understand this and get behind a program that sustains us and has the potential of increasing their membership.
The Republican Party is the political wing of the Chamber of Commerce, and the Democratic Party is the political arm of the unions.
Nobody represents the American people.
Of course that’s the reason Americans don’t go into science and engineering. They know perfectly well that those jobs are reserved for non-citizens. And for the same combination of effort and brain-power they can do better in other fields.
In a severe downturn in the job market and overall economy, for us to even consider adding more people to deal with at this time is nothing short of suicide.
Problem #1: It’s only a matter of time before Obambi gives his approval for amnesty, which will open the floodgates to more social services applied for by the illegals already here.
Problem #2: Granted, we do need to encourage those with skills to come legally when it’s appropriate, but with millions out of work (highly skilled citizens at that) to even suggest we need to bring in more applicants for those same jobs is foolhardy.
Problem #3: Seems the only job growth we’ll see for awhile is that in government services. A nation cannot survive by expanding government workers to the point where they outnumber those working in the private sector.
Problem #4: We can expect the wind down of our military presence in two war zones, and just possibly around the world. Hundreds of thousands of men and women currently serving are going to need services and jobs. We owe it to them to see they get both.
There are some excellent articles and studies available at NumbersUSA.
http://www.NumbersUSA.com
They offer some very compelling evidence about the levels of fraud which pervades our legal immigration practices … leaving aside the perpetual thorn-in-the-hind-side illegal immigration.
In particular (and of strong applicability in the current context), are recent articles by Norm Matloff re: H1-b visa – he points out that the requirements and provisions of the H1-b are tweaked by companies all too often – but is done within the letter (but not intent) of the law (one article here). A second article (by an author I can’t recall offhand) about DNA testing of asylee/refugeee applicants (it was found in the test study, that fraud [no blood relations between supposed family members] was the norm)
Yes, our system is “broken” as the “CIR” (comprehensive immigration reform proponents like to claim. Sure, it’s broken, because it isn’t serving the interests of the US public at all anymore. Now, it is serving the wants of foreign persons wanting a cheap and easy entry into the US, large companies wanting an easy route to cheap labor, etc. (IMHO).
You forget that according to the vodoo economics practiced by both parties, adding more people to America magically creates lots of new and well paying jobs.
If we swallowed the entire population of China, we could all be hedge-fund managers making a billion dollars per year.
flenser, Hey, good on you!
You’ve got to the heart of the myth (”just add more bodies, and everything will be ok…”) of recent US immigration policy.
“the prospective buyer must have a clean criminal record, a good credit record, the ability to present and prove a decent monthly income, and no outstanding financial obligations or credit liabilities. ”
What exactly are our objections to having someone that meets this criteria getting a green card? This certainly sounds like someone I would want buying the house next door to me.
edelweiss said:
It won’t happen. This country won’t survive a single day without immigrants
Really, Let me rephrase it for you:
It won’t happen immigrants won’t survive without the working class in america supporting them!
All immigration into this country should be banned for 5-10 years until we can figure out who is here already.
And it should be limited and Teddy Kennedy’s 1965 Immigration Act should be repealed!
flenser – Amen!
Part of the assimilation failure is that in most cities there are simply not a majority of actual citizens – does not matter which color or ethnicity – for the new migrants to feel pressured to emulate. Those cities that actually do have a huge number of actual citizens seem only to want to encourage new immigrants to hang onto their past.
OT
Global warming alert
Big Black River in Maine hit -50ºF this morning, breaking the all time Maine record of -48º set in 1925.
Westhampton, NY (Long Island!) hit -14ºF
No offense but this is a preposterous statement.
Based upon the first paragraph absolutely no one would qualify. My only objection is that I can’t think of one good reason to import more people into this country unless you want to add an IQ of 140+ to the first paragraph.
Is that really true ?
I just want to make sure I understand this correctly.
They’re foreclosing on Americans because they set them up so they wouldn’t be able to pay their mortgages so they can now sell those same houses to foreigners who won’t be able to pay on their mortgages so that they can forclose on them too. All with the promise of a green card / citizenship.
Perhaps they should check the water in Washington DC.
Have we found out who the banned troll is?
Wikipedia is edited by a bunch of people, per my understanding, and I have heard the high Wiki overlords don’t like anything that counters global warming hysteria.
That said:
Mrs. Malkins Wiki page
Note Michelle is not married to a Russian NHL star, but rather some really smart (and lucky) guy, who works at RAND, and further, upon Wiki-ing RAND, its name is not a reference to the Atlas Shrugged author.
Which reminds me, a thread at another blog, “Atlas Shrugged from fiction to reality in 52 years.”
#56
A Moby who said something to the effect of “Deport all Immigrants Now”.
Culture, Language and Borders doesn’t mean xenophobia. If people come legally, and bring talents and abilities so they can benefit the US as much as they expect the US to benefit them, and are willing to accept our culture and American English as the common language, I don’t think too many people object to that.
BTW, for those that have never heard, Moby is a bad British techno-pop musician who encouraged his fans to go on conservative blogs in 2000 and claim George W Bush had forced a girlfriend to have an abortion.
A Moby is a libtard who pretends to be a patriot, to make patriots look bad.
Nice pic of you on the Wiki page Michelle. I have always said conservative women are better looking than troll women. Come to think of it, that’s probably why I’m a conservative. The heck with the politics.
“the prospective buyer must have a clean criminal record”
What could go wrong? I mean, the US gov’t has such an excellent record on checking out who comes into the country. (sarc off)
Nothing wrong with conservative Mary Katherine Ham, either.
From Michelle’s Wiki page
Gee! Michelle, If Geraldo thinks that of you, it only make me appreciate you more.
Alas, bipartisanship is no more; both political parties have merged and now act as one…
Daggummit, I miss the troll purge, too!!!!
Gerald is such a hystrionic narcisist. Who cares what he thinks? MM is worth at least a thousand Gerald Riveras.
You sir are very naive. My buddy worked at INS and he processed many legal immigrants. Most of the “proofs” submitted by applicants are unverifiable. How can INS verify steady income and assets (or degrees) of someone in Asia or Mexico ? There is rampant visa fraud. There are some people on student visa in my neighborhood who just sign up for a class or two in community college to meet the visa requirements and then work illegally in small shops.
Allow fewer in and take more time for each applicant. It works in Australia.
How do you suppose not very highly paid INS/state dept officer will judge all these subjective things ?
I agree. US government has dismal record of screening visitors/imigrants. We should have voted for Hunter or Tancerado.
Good to see Mitch McConnell has been up to his neck in this since 1990. At least he’s a high seniority RINO.
Maybe the emu was banned.
Ya know, on the southern border, we only need one fence; with targets on it.
I remember reading the original story by MM back then. Silly me, I thought some congress critter would be appalled. My bad.
BTW, per family re-unification, anyone remember the M*A*S*H episode with the Officer’s club ? Hawkeye and all his ‘relatives’ coming in.
It hurts to read a story like this after a tough work week; dealing with issues like layoffs, furloughs, and reduced work weeks…and then there is Washington DC, and all that is available to the highest bidder, and contrary to good law and citizenship, just making me sick.
Come on Michelle, tell us who was banned.
I missed the Troll banning too! Sheesh. I could only hope it was Bill Grant.
Who was it? How many people have to ask to find out? lol
As to the subject…. I never cease to be amazed at how suicidal our Government is.
I am astounded that our country is going belly up (Yay bipartisanship!) and there’s really nothing we can do about it. Now that over 50% realize they can vote themselves goodies at taxpayer expense, I can’t imagine we can stop the race to Socialism. Not enough responsible people left. And both main parties, D & R are corrupt.
I feel like Pippin in LOTR. “I don’t want to be in a battle. But waiting on the edge of one I can’t escape is even worse.”
I think Jeff2161 nailed it.
FamilyMan – Ed Mahmoud abu al-Kahoul knows who it was too… what can we do to make him talk?
Thanks, b-cat… I was tired of the ranting in my left ear.
Zombie water-boarding ?
Waterboarding
Now there’s the difference right there between conservative, and socialists. Mary Katherine Ham vs. HRC…
I have heard that zombies will work for ‘ head cheese ‘
Pickled brains, for the trolls…
Hey, chap…these conservative babes are enough to turn you pro-life, eh?
Familyman – I thought of that, but how do you cyber-waterboard someone?
We need a list of all those banned and the reason.
Omu is pretty much a one trick pony. I can’t picture him even commenting on this.
edelweiss, I have to say that I agree with you about legal immigration. Educated people or those who seek an education will strengthen our country, whereas most illegals are just looking to take anything and everything they can without contributing.
If you can comment like you did here without being inflammatory or preachy, I welcome your point of view and will not belittle you.
How many houses could Osama Bin Laden afford for his friends? Throw in some Gulf Sheiks, Hugo Chavez and George Soros and “Houston, we have a problem”.
throw in terrorist ties and wonder just how good some of these countries are at assisting the Great Satan. Does Mohammad Atta and the PERFECT SOLDIERS ring a bell?
Now we have Conservatives falling all over themselves “of course I do support legal immigration”. Just how many more low and unskilled people can we absorb and wait that three generations for them to assimilate? Just how many more convenience stores do we need Pakistanis and Indians to buy and lay off the American workers? We do not have enough Pay Day Loan/Cash Checking stores now? Add to the mix almost all the immigrants of this half century have come from and believe in Socialist/statist government.
Yes we WERE a country of immigrants ready and able to absorb large numbers of people. That was when we were expanding and those immigrants who could not make it went home. We are no longer expanding rapidly and those who can not make it go on welfare or rob the Pakistanis and Indians convenience stores.
Some feel “We Are the World”-I prefer “I am an American”. We have our own people to take care of.
I traveled to Asia few years ago. There the “immigration consultants” advertise in newspapers about how they will assist you in getting green cards, provide fake degree, tell you how to answer questions from the Consulate officers and even find you “anchor spouses” in USA. Apparently it cost between 4k to 5k to find an American who will marry you and get you a green card.
The whole system is rigged. So all those who support “legal immigartion”, think again.
Our immigration rate should depend on the unemployment, and especially; under-employment rate. I live in Phoenix,AZ and 60% of the english-speakers…(3 out of 5) were laid-off while the 73 spanish speakers remained. But, we ARE a right-to-work state…Right? I’m not bitter that, a spanish-only speaker has my job…I’m extremely perturbed.
Locked, and loaded…Finger on the safety…
My boss told me it was too expensive to have bi-lingual safety meetings. Sure took care of that, boy…
( not sexist by saying boy )
I’m one that objects to it. I don’t care if they have “talent and ability”. It’s not the role of the state to act as some sort of talent recruiter. It can no more do that job than it can evaluate their more important cultural characteristics.
Following on ArizonaNeanderthal and usa_usa’s comments (#88, 89)…
Yes, good points. People forget that 15 of the 19 9/11 terrorists entered the US (ostensibly) under LEGAL means (student visa, tourist visa, etc) – but within that process, committed some sort of fraud or deceit to game the system and stay or evade the radar of the CIS/ICE. In fact, over at HotAir, MM has posted a most excellent vid of a document fraudster (himself, an illegal) who made the fake documents for many of the terrorists.
I’d like to put my trust and faith in the legal immigration process… only problem is, it is riddled with abuse and fraud and just can’t be trusted anymore. The standards have to be much, much higher before it can gain support from people like me.
Amen, brother.
On January 16th, 2009 at 7:27 pm, Joy said:
Well said, Bill…
Rats……..
When american citizens are discriminated against…So, where do we get the tar and feathers?