Green Cards for Donuts
Who doesn’t like a Dunkin Donut and a cup of coffee? Now investors can chase the “American dream” with relative ease. Investors can participate in a Dunkin Donuts United States lending program set up by international private equity firm LCR Capital in order to secure an EB-5 or ’immigrant investor’ visa in the United States for themselves and immediate family members.
Almost 99% of EB-5 visa applications administered by the firm have been approved by US authorities. “The biggest thing the American government looks at is the source of the funds, if the funds were obtained illegally, the application is turned down.
Dunkin’ Donuts, the seventh largest restaurant chain and second largest coffee chain in the US, is not directly involved in LCR Capital’s lending program. Instead, the private equity firm will provide experienced multi-unit Dunkin’ Donut operators with senior secured loans in order to finance the construction of more than 70 new outlets across the southern US.
A tax optimization strategy used by high net worth individuals is to donate the $500,000 minimum capital requirement to children who then apply for EB-5 visas. Investment into the program is usually made so that their children can study and work in the United States.
Only 10,000 EB-5 visas through the immigrant investor program are given out per year. If approved non-US citizens receive temporary US green cards within 12 to 18 months and permanent green cards two to three years later. The US EB-5 visa program is one of the “cheapest” ways to gain foreign residency.
