Wealthy Chinese seek special visas to relocate to Bay Area [www.mercurynews.com]
"The main reason is, they still worry about the future stability of China," Hsu said. "The U.S. is a democracy, there is freedom and it's a safer place."

The exit door for many of these wealthy Chinese is opened by the fast-track visas America offers for well-heeled immigrants. Known as the EB-5, the visa requires applicants to invest $500,000 in projects in economically struggling regions or $1 million in a commercial venture in other locations. The investments must create or preserve 10 jobs for two years. If successful, the applicants and their families -- spouses and children younger than 21 -- are awarded permanent residency.
...
Between 1992 and 2011, the number of applications for investor visas jumped 700 percent, from 474 to 3,805, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In the past two years alone, the number applicants has nearly quadrupled. More applications by far come from China than any other country. Last year, 77 percent of all of those who applied for these visas were Chinese.

"They are standing in line," said Scott Bachman, CEO of San Mateo-based eBee5. His company helps pair large development projects with wealthy Chinese looking to invest in the United States.

"When I go to China, I get a Chinese cellphone and I am constantly bombarded with EB-5 (advertising) text messages," said Kevin Wright, a consultant with offices in the United States and China.

A survey of 980 Chinese millionaires published last fall by the Bank of China and the Hurun Report, which tracks the country's wealthy, revealed that 46 percent of them were thinking about leaving China, while an additional 14 percent were filling out immigration paperwork or had already left the country.

Sounds like a good way to get our money back . It's a chain.. Wal Mart to visa and back to Wal Mart.

AFAIK this has always been the case. Bring money or needed skills and the doors open - VOILA`

There are pretty straight up laws about investment and Immigration. No harm no foul me thinks.
Rudie

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“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish"
"There are only two mantras yummm and yuk "
"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
"The quality of Congress is not strained. It droppeth like a fetid cow patty from a bovine cloaca." cbelt
"I got to that part and I knew there was going to be some weapons grade stupid to follow"Lux Interior
"When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then
will you discover you cannot eat money."
~ Cree Prophecy

they shouldn't be letting those misrepresentationers in either

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billb
they shouldn't be letting those misrepresentationers in either

You mean guys like Romney who hide their investments off line and in udder kuntries *(:>*

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“Stay Hungry Stay Foolish"
"There are only two mantras yummm and yuk "
"There is a fine line between a rut and a groove"
"The quality of Congress is not strained. It droppeth like a fetid cow patty from a bovine cloaca." cbelt
"I got to that part and I knew there was going to be some weapons grade stupid to follow"Lux Interior
"When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe, only then
will you discover you cannot eat money."
~ Cree Prophecy

Do you really want to open up a conversation about U.S. immigration laws? It's a complete clusterfuck. These visas are a teeny tiny portion of the overall picture. And, because of how our laws are structured, these visas don't 'take spaces away' from any more 'worthy' immigrants.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

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rjmacs
Do you really want to open up a conversation about U.S. immigration laws? It's a complete clusterfuck. These visas are a teeny tiny portion of the overall picture. And, because of how our laws are structured, these visas don't 'take spaces away' from any more 'worthy' immigrants.

On a daily basis I hear the mantra that Obama should not be reelected because he has not addressed immigration reform. It's pretty clear that he's not going to have the "latino" vote next time around. Does not seem to rank as worthy of discussion outside of latino circles, though.

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MR/F Guestmap: [www.mapservices.org]

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Black

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rjmacs
Do you really want to open up a conversation about U.S. immigration laws? It's a complete clusterfuck. These visas are a teeny tiny portion of the overall picture. And, because of how our laws are structured, these visas don't 'take spaces away' from any more 'worthy' immigrants.

On a daily basis I hear the mantra that Obama should not be reelected because he has not addressed immigration reform. It's pretty clear that he's not going to have the "latino" vote next time around. Does not seem to rank as worthy of discussion outside of latino circles, though.

I know many Latinos who, though disappointed in the President's failure to move immigration reform forward, are not one -issue voters. Also, they don't see any promise in the GOP for better prospects after 2012. Latino voters (outside of south Florida) tend to be strong Democratic Party voters, for socioeconomic as much as ethnic reasons. Repeated attempts by Republicans to reach out to Hispanic Americans by appealing to conservative social values or small-government economic ideals have met with failure time and again. The President may not have the enthusiastic "Si Se Puede" turnout he had in 2008, but i don't see those votes going elsewhere this November.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future

RepublicanRight wing vote suppression efforts will have a far greater effect on Latino voter turnout than anything the President did or didn't do.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2012 08:23PM by RgrF.

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rjmacs

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Black

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rjmacs
Do you really want to open up a conversation about U.S. immigration laws? It's a complete clusterfuck. These visas are a teeny tiny portion of the overall picture. And, because of how our laws are structured, these visas don't 'take spaces away' from any more 'worthy' immigrants.

On a daily basis I hear the mantra that Obama should not be reelected because he has not addressed immigration reform. It's pretty clear that he's not going to have the "latino" vote next time around. Does not seem to rank as worthy of discussion outside of latino circles, though.

I know many Latinos who, though disappointed in the President's failure to move immigration reform forward, are not one -issue voters. Also, they don't see any promise in the GOP for better prospects after 2012. Latino voters (outside of south Florida) tend to be strong Democratic Party voters, for socioeconomic as much as ethnic reasons. Repeated attempts by Republicans to reach out to Hispanic Americans by appealing to conservative social values or small-government economic ideals have met with failure time and again. The President may not have the enthusiastic "Si Se Puede" turnout he had in 2008, but i don't see those votes going elsewhere this November.

I'm not going to let my statement get painted as having suggested that latinos are simplistic folk who won't look beyond one issue, but I will say that most of the specific individuals that I've spoken to recently about politics don't seem to have the time or inclination to look beyond the main characterization that they're exposed to repeatedly through word of mouth, or spanish-language media, or whatever. They know Obama is "not good" and identify immigration when pressed for any specifics. I'd say the majority of these folks don't think Obama will be reelected and are fine with that.
Will they be inclined to vote Republican? Probably not in droves-- but I've met my share who do vote Republican.

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MR/F Guestmap: [www.mapservices.org]

Quote
Black

Quote
rjmacs

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Black

Quote
rjmacs
Do you really want to open up a conversation about U.S. immigration laws? It's a complete clusterfuck. These visas are a teeny tiny portion of the overall picture. And, because of how our laws are structured, these visas don't 'take spaces away' from any more 'worthy' immigrants.

On a daily basis I hear the mantra that Obama should not be reelected because he has not addressed immigration reform. It's pretty clear that he's not going to have the "latino" vote next time around. Does not seem to rank as worthy of discussion outside of latino circles, though.

I know many Latinos who, though disappointed in the President's failure to move immigration reform forward, are not one -issue voters. Also, they don't see any promise in the GOP for better prospects after 2012. Latino voters (outside of south Florida) tend to be strong Democratic Party voters, for socioeconomic as much as ethnic reasons. Repeated attempts by Republicans to reach out to Hispanic Americans by appealing to conservative social values or small-government economic ideals have met with failure time and again. The President may not have the enthusiastic "Si Se Puede" turnout he had in 2008, but i don't see those votes going elsewhere this November.

I'm not going to let my statement get painted as having suggested that latinos are simplistic folk who won't look beyond one issue, but I will say that most of the specific individuals that I've spoken to recently about politics don't seem to have the time or inclination to look beyond the main characterization that they're exposed to repeatedly through word of mouth, or spanish-language media, or whatever. They know Obama is "not good" and identify immigration when pressed for any specifics. I'd say the majority of these folks don't think Obama will be reelected and are fine with that.
Will they be inclined to vote Republican? Probably not in droves-- but I've met my share who do vote Republican.

Hey, Black - i honestly didn't mean to paint your statement. I had read your comment that "Obama should not be reelected because he has not addressed immigration reform" as reflecting the prevalent reasoning among Latinos you know. That wasn't exactly what you said, and i may have jumped too far in my inference. Polling of American voters routinely reveals them to be more reasoned, self-interested, and less ideological than the pundits would have us believe. It's the non-voters you gotta look out for!

That being said, unless the numbers really change in 2012 (and polling doesn't indicate it yet), Latinos are still a solid Democratic voting bloc. George W. Bush managed to wrangle about 40%, which was key to his victory in 2004, but that was after a solid attempt at moderate immigration reform. After a tenure of increasingly restrictive immigration reforms during his first term, Bill Clinton won 67% of the Latino vote in 1996. Support for Romney right now is in the teens.

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rj
AKA
Vreemac, Moth of the Future