Don’t forget Koreans

I was just listening to the panel on “Country-Specific Issues” from the August 2010 AILA EB-5 Investor CLE conference, and reminded of the significance of Korea for EB-5. Most new Regional Centers are rushing to China for investors, but keep in mind that 2009 was only China’s first year at the top of the list of EB-5 investors by country, a position formerly held for years by Korea. Fiscal Year 2009 still saw 903 EB-5 visas issued to Koreans, a significant number. Compared to the other markets discussed by the AILA panel — China, Iran, and Russia — Korea appears attractively simple, with fewer funds transfer, funds documentation, and consular issues to worry about. Marketers may want to note the Korea International Emigration and Investment Fair coming up in Busan (Sept 30) and Seoul (Oct 2-3).