Immigration Law | Business Law

Taking Money out of India for US Investment and Business Growth

Why are Regulations Concerning Taking Money out of India Something I need to be Concerned About?

Whether as a “passive” EB5 investor, an EB5 “direct investor” in your own business or an L1A Indian business owner you will need access to substantial capital in order to make an investment in the United States and receive a visa. The pertinent Indian Government regulations that control your ability to take money out of India and make on Overseas Direct Investment (“ODI”) are important to understand and can impact your your case.

Is it True that the Latest RBI Regulations Effectively Make EB5 and L Visa Investment Impossible?

No. While the latest RBI regulations do not make investment in the United States impossible, making an investment does require experienced advice. Our firm represents many investors who have successfully and lawfully planned to transfer substantial capital to the United States. This does, however, need careful planning.

Does the US Government Care How I get My Money Out of India?

While the US Government’s primary concern is to ensure that funds were legally earned prior to their investment in the United States, some officials have begun to show interest in the lawful transfer of investment funds under applicable foreign law. A successful approach therefore involves a dual understanding of both the Indian and the US regulations and how to properly present and document transfers to the US government.

US visa officials will also expect us to thoroughly document where your investment funds ultimately came from. Having worked on many successful Indian cases we realize that it is not always possible to fully document the ultimate source of all “white” money in India. Many Indian cases, for example, involve the sale for family land held for generations where documentation of the acquisition of the land no longer exists. We are experienced in how to properly present this to the US Government.

How can Davies & Associates Assist me Navigate the Indian ODI regulations?EB-5 Investment Visa for Indians

EB5 Visas

US law requires a minimum investment of either USD 500,000.00 or USD 1,000,000.00 in order to obtain an EB5 visa. As a practical matter we suggest Indian clients making a “direct” investment not utilizing a Regional Center consider evidencing a slightly higher investment.

Whether a USD 500,000.00 or USD 1,000,000.00 investment is required is determined according to whether the business is located in a “Target Employment Area” or “Rural Area” (collectively a “TEA”). If the business is located in a TEA then the required investment of USD 1,000.000 is reduced to USD 500,000.00. Many, but not all, Regional Center projects are located in TEAs and therefore require an investment of USD 500,000, as opposed to USD 1,000,000.00.

L-1 Visa for US Business

L1A Visas.

While there is no minimum investment required by law for an L1 visa you need to make sufficient investment to evidence that you have a real and viable business in the United States and that you can function as an “executive” or “manager”, or in the case of a “new office” that you can within a year. Regardless of how many employees your US business employs you are going to need to prove that you are not the person carrying out lower-level “day-to-day” tasks.

Our firm usually evidences that the investment in an L visa company is sufficient for these purposes through the use of a business plan. While as of the date of the writing of this update in August 2013 our firm has yet to have an Indian L visa application denied or issued with an RFE there is an increasing trend for the US Government to scrutinize Indian L visa applications very closely. Evidencing sufficient and meaningful investment through a well-written business plan is, therefore, in our opinion critical.

How Can Davies & Associates Help Me Evidence my Investment is Sufficient?

While you are free to develop you own plan our firm has a specialist business plan team whose sole function is to write business plans in L, E and EB5 cases. This approach teams experienced business analysts with our immigration lawyers. We have found this approach critical to success in multiple cases.

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Eranjan Venura Parua
Eranjan Venura Parua
a week ago

"After finding D&A through an internet search in 2020, my wife and I had several free consultations with David Cantor. Despite our initial attempt at filing for our E2 visa independently ending in failure, we decided to hire D&A for their expertise and support. Over the course of four long years, Verdie and Cristina were incredibly patient as we took our time to prepare for the E2 submission. Verdie became our E2 Attorney in 2021, and from the start, Verdie and Cristina's patience was evident. Despite our intermittent engagement over the years, they always treated us with the utmost attention. Working with Verdie and the D&A team was a pleasure; their professionalism and support were unwavering. Verdie's calm demeanor and succinct communication style made navigating the process much smoother, even during complex discussions. I wholeheartedly recommend Verdie and D&A - Davies & Associates, to anyone seeking an immigration law firm who can efficiently handle their case with precision and without unnecessary fanfare. Their ability to get things done speaks volumes about their dedication to their clients' success."

Jeremy Abernathy
Jeremy Abernathy
2 months ago

I had the pleasure of working with Verdie and Nessa to obtain my E2 Visa. Their in-depth knowledge and experience allowed me to be fully prepared in my application and they were able to answer all questions leading up to the Visa interview.

Saeed Muhammad
Saeed Muhammad
3 months ago

Verdie was an amazing attorney, providing exceptional client care throughout the process. He had a great depth of knowledge in all areas on business visas in the US.

hoshino ryuichi
hoshino ryuichi
6 months ago

Thanks to them for handling my E2 visa very professionally. I had a study visa from F1 and changed it to E2. I encountered many problems during the application process. Verdie and Etta were very patient in helping me and it took a long time. I highly recommend this place.

Satyabrat Chowdhury
Satyabrat Chowdhury
6 months ago

I had a great experience with Davies & Associates. They are very thorough in the approach and their have experts in this field who know the domain very well.I would certainly be leaning onto them for any future needs as well.

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