Legal Awards 2021

Acquisition International - Legal Awards 2021 39 Best EB-5 Consultants - Middle East Accessing the USA from the Middle East is essential for many, but it is also a challenge that must be overcome. The team at the American Legal Center have made it their mission to deliver exceptional results for their clients. These triumphs have led to success in the AI Legal Awards 2021, so we thought it time to take a closer look at their achievements over the years. Sep21307 n 1990, the United States government introduced the US golden visa, called the EB-5 immigrant investor program. Investors were asked to inject $500,000 into an approved commercial enterprise which should also create ten jobs for U.S. persons, and in return would gain a US Green Card and residency for their spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21. The popularity of the program is clear, but the legal challenges are significant. The American Legal Center focuses exclusively on the EB-5 immigrant investor program, and has filed the most EB-5 applications within the Middle East and North Africa region. For over 100 families, their efforts have brought incredible success and seen them acknowledged by the Wall Street Journal, CNN, and The Gulf News. By June 2021, the firm was comfortably filing an incredible 6% of all global applications coming through the EB-5 route. This success comes from the incredible leadership of the team’s Legal Director, I Shai Zamanian. He is a US licensed attorney and published EB-5 expert who not only understands the market, but has ensured his firm educates it and guides the way. As such, the American Legal Center has been able to establish itself as a dominant voice in this vital US government program. The benefits of using this way of entry are clear, with the US’s traditional stability making it an appealing market for investors. The last two years, however, have seen a multitude of changes that the American Legal Center have had to adapt to. Firstly, the price of investment increased from $500,000 to $900,000 in November 2019, before once again decreasing from $900,000 back down to $500,000 in June 2021. The program then lapsed as it was not reauthorized by Congress. The decrease in capital investment, combined with the lapse of the program saw the American Legal Center inundated with applications. The team has less than two weeks to react to what many had seen as unprecedented circumstances. Thanks to their close connections, however, the firm had been planning for this eventuality since February 2021, allowing them to raise awareness within their client base and ensuring that they were in the right position to submit petitions. This proactive approach has proven to be key to the team’s continued success. While the program has paused, awaiting political movement and reauthorization, the American Legal Center are preparing their prospective investors are taking the necessary steps to collect their documents and are ready for the next opportunity to file. Through weekly seminars, all their clients are kept in the loop and aware of what is likely to change in the coming months. The likelihood is that the rules will continue to change, and people will depend on experts like the American Legal Center to navigate them through that change. The growth of the American Legal Center has been inspiring, both to clients who are looking to invest in America and to the team who have made it all happen. Throughout the difficulties that have faced people over the last few years, this team has ensured that their clients have been able to move smoothly through the EB-5 process. Their success is to be celebrated, now and long into the future. Company: American Legal Center Name: Shai Zamanian Email: Shai.zamanian@america.ae