>New EB-5 Policy Memo Released for Comment

Last week U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a proposed new Policy Memorandum regarding EB-5 investor visa cases.  According to USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas, in a public engagement phone conference that same day, the purpose of the new memo is to consolidate, update and improve guidance on EB-5 cases.   Director Mayorkas has proven to be a breath of fresh air at USCIS since his arrival and this is just one more example.  USCIS seeks public comment on the draft memorandum until December 9, 2011.  Director Mayorkas says he wants to issue the final memo as soon as possible after comments close, to allow the public to rely on this much needed guidance as soon as possible.  The draft policy memorandum addresses areas where more clarity is needed to improve predictability and consistency of adjudications.  Stay tuned for news of  the final memorandum, which could be significantly different and perhaps broader in scope than the draft.