Territorial Delegates Sees Value in EB-5 Program

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Congresswoman Aumua Amata and colleagues from the other four U.S. territories sent a letter to both the House & Senate Judiciary Committees yesterday stating their support for the EB-5 program for immigrant investors.

The EB-5 program is designed to encourage investment into rural and economically challenged areas of the United States by foreign investors. Despite some remaining issues within the program, it has proven successful in its mission.

Currently, the program is scheduled to terminate at the end of September, however due to the wide support for the program from both sides of the aisle; it is expected to be reauthorized before it expires.

The Territorial Delegation is working with the Judiciary Committee to ensure that much needed reforms are included in the re-authorization discussions, to ensure that the territories are not excluded in any way from participating in the program.

In their letter, the Territorial Delegation stated their support for both the re-authorization and reform of the program, including correcting the inadvertent exclusion of U.S. nationals from American Samoa when defining U.S. Workers.

The congresswoman thanked her colleagues for their joint effort saying, “This program is essential to bring real long term investment into our beautiful islands, which will also bring jobs along with it.

Amata said, “This is a perfect example of an issue that I have raised since my very first day in Congress last year, which is the territories must not be looked over, or forgotten altogether when Congress is drafting and enacting laws.”

She said, “For too long this has been the case, and it is one of my top priorities to see that it no longer happens.

These reforms to the EB-5 program, will allow our people the very same opportunities as those in the states when it comes to their ability to  benefit from the program.”

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