EB-5 immigration industry leader, Bob Kraft shares his experience and insight on immigration through investment (the EB-5 program), discusses alternative E-2 visa investment opportunities and the Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) program.
EB-5 immigration industry leader, Bob Kraft shares his experience and insight on immigration through investment (the EB-5 program), discusses alternative E-2 visa investment opportunities and the Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) program.
Are you looking to immigrate to the United States have questions on what type of visa or investment is right for you? Or maybe you're looking for more information about changing your current immigration status? Then you have come to the right place. You have arrived at investing in the American Dream Podcast. I am your host, Jessica Melka.
Unknown Speaker :Hello everyone and welcome to our first podcast. I am excited to bring you today's featured guest Bob Kraft. Many of you know Bob, but for those unfamiliar, Bob Kraft is the president of AI USA, the National membership based not for profit industry trade association for the EB five regional center program. Mr. Kraft is also the CEO and founder of first pathway partners, a regional center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with offices and representatives all over the globe. For over a decade, Mr. Kraft and first family partners has helped thousands of people from around the world to achieve their immigration goal. In this episode, we get to talk to Bob about Eb five program and other visa investments that first partners can provide. Let's get into it.
Unknown Speaker :Bob Kraft, how are you doing today?
Unknown Speaker :I'm doing great. How are you, Jessica? Great.
Unknown Speaker :It's so great to have you on. So I've already given our audience a brief background of yourself and your involvement with USA and first pathway partners. But could you maybe expand on that and tell us a little more about yourself and your involvement with the EB five program specifically, and then maybe touch on some investment opportunities and services that first pass partners can offer to anyone looking to immigrate to the United States.
Unknown Speaker :Sure, I'd be glad to and thank you.
Unknown Speaker :I became involved with Eb five in 2004. We were looking at it for the state of Wisconsin as a way to draw investment into the area. Specifically, we're primarily focused on southeast Wisconsin. But Eb five looked like a way to attract capital into a state that very few people know of overseas. So in Wisconsin, it's not a very well known state, outside of the United States, although it's become much better known over the last 15 years, but I became actively involved in Eb five in 2007, after looking at it for three years and found it very interesting work and something that would benefit the state and something that I could certainly enjoy based on the religions ship to establish overseas and the different cultures and helping people achieve their dream. So first pathway partners started officially in 2007. We became active in 2008. And then since then we've done very well and i b as a result of the good work we've done in the way we've tried to run the business, we've become involved as an organization with the board of directors of AI USA, which is the organization that oversees the EB five program internationally, and promotes educational aspects of the program and make sure that the program is properly implemented, introduced executed by practitioners around the world. Three years ago or two and a half years ago, I became president of the association. And I've spent probably more time than I than I thought I would with the lobbying the legislation trying to improve legislation in advance that protect the investors and one of our objectives has been to expand the amount of visas that are available, although we have not been successful doing it yet, but we're going to continue fighting for the investors on that front.
Unknown Speaker :And I know with some of the legislative changes to the EB five program, regional centers in general have been kind of looking to branch out and offer other services and in particular first pathway partners, I understand has opened a new portfolio of offerings such as an E two visa and Grenada citizenship. Yeah, correct.
Unknown Speaker :We started looking at E two a couple years ago and then as the the law continued to sunset and then be extended in the visa utilization continued to expand and then create backlog. problems for certain countries. We thought that the E two might be a an answer to that. And certainly there's a worldwide interest in utilizing e two as a way to come into the United States. E two does not offer the same benefits in terms of immigration as Eb five, it's a visa, it's not a green card. But it does allow the applicant to enter the United States in a relatively short period of time, stay for five years, and then there's a fairly perfunctory renewal at five years, which has not been a problem for people. So you don't have a permanent green card, but you do have access and you can take advantage of schools, and all the things that you have here in the United States. And the eetu applicant is not subject to worldwide tax, which is very attractive to a lot of people. So it's another pathway into the United States and we are very excited. To the boat, we've had a lot of interest with it already.
Unknown Speaker :And I understand the E two visa is kind of utilized as a business visa. And so that kind of involves setting up a business, operating a business. Can you kind of take us through what some of the offerings are that first pathway partners has in regards to an E two visa investment?
Unknown Speaker :Well, we're currently looking at a number of different options or opportunities for people but the the one that we're promoting aggressively worldwide right now that we're very excited about is a franchise opportunity with a company out of Denver, Colorado, called teriyaki madness. It's a company that's been around for 20 years. They've been primarily in the West, in the Middle West. They started in Las Vegas in Seattle. They grew in Denver. their headquarters are now in Denver. They have roughly 60 locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico. And they have a very aggressive growth plan as a result of the CEO who's been involved in franchise businesses for all his career, and he bought the franchise operation, the parent company a number of years ago and has brought in a really skilled team of professionals from fast casual dining. And they're expanding rapidly throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. We met them a year ago, we've been working on a program with them. We're very impressed with their skills in the way they run their business. It's a it's a perfect fit for Eb five E and four e two. And they've spent time in the Waukee. We've spent time in Denver, we've been to their stores, we've tasted all their different offerings, and it's a delicious food offering and it's a very profitable food offering. It's something that Americans In particular, it has broad appeal. And it stays fresh. The carry outs are in special containers that you get home. It's still fresh. You don't have to warm it up and the flavors are outstanding. So we're really excited about it. We've had good interest already. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker :sounds like first pathway partners has really found a great offering that is going to not only provide investors with the benefits they're looking for, but then also the returns as well.
Unknown Speaker :Yes, the returns are good and it meets all the requirements of the law. And it also provides an opportunity for the individuals who have come through Eb five their backlogs significant China and India in particular. Because there they do not have a treaty with the United States. individuals from the two countries cannot come directly in the United States under e two, okay. That's why Eb five was so popular. But the backlog is significant. And yet they still would like to come into the United States. So we've signed an agreement with the country of Grenada and a partner out of Dubai range development to promote the Grenada citizenship program. Grenada is a treaty country with the United States, then once the investment is made and approved in Grenada, they can then apply for EA to enter the United States in a very short period of time. So it's a workaround, if you will, but it's something that is perfectly legal. There's a little more money involved than if he came directly in on eetu only, but, you know, for people that have had the wherewithal, it's a very attractive and efficient way to enter the United States while they wait for the EB five program to visa to be approved.
Unknown Speaker :Sounds like a really well thought out plan and how to kind of work around one The Eb five price increase, but then to still offering the way for them to get into the United States illegally and with an investment that's going to provide returns as well.
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, we think it touches all the bases. And we're very, very excited about it. And as I said, the interest in it has been very strong. So it'll be an important part of our total offering. We're still very active in Eb five, we've adjusted our project offerings to be consistent and in line with the regulations which now drive and excuse me drive Eb five. So we'll have two offerings basically, for people and everybody has different needs and objectives. So we feel very good about it that we have a broader offering, actually for clients around the world.
Unknown Speaker :That's great. Well, I guess as we come to a close, I do have one other other question. We like to ask something kind of off topic. And so I'd like to ask you, Bob, are there any good books that you've read recently?
Unknown Speaker :Yeah, I mean, I've I like to read. I'm a voracious reader, I my favorite of all time, and I've probably read it 20 times is a book called secret of the ages by Robert Collier, Robert Collier was a publisher. And he this book was written back in the 40s, I believe. And it's really his principles, beliefs and how to achieve full potential as a human being and in reach the goals that we would all like to reach. Some of it is about goal setting and visualization. But it's a very interesting it gets a little heavy in parts. But I find it to be a somewhat of a touchstone for me and I go back to it and refer to it just to make sure that I'm, I'm on the correct path. There was another book that that Just came out recently that I found very interesting that I'm a little prejudiced because I'm one of the authors. It was a compilation of executives in North America. And it's called words of wisdom. And it's published by the Ben Franklin society, which was a, which is a very interesting organization. It has been established for a long, long time. And they contacted executives around the country and asked if they would write, you know, their thoughts with respect to how success is achieved, and I was honored to be included in that. Oh, wow. But the other articles are really outstanding. So I've enjoyed that. So I would recommend the Book of Wisdom also those those two would be,
Unknown Speaker :that's great. Yeah, we really appreciate you sharing that with us. And I'm sure a lot of us are going to run out, and definitely check those out right away. So thank you.
Unknown Speaker :Thank you, Bob. for your time. Well
Unknown Speaker :Thank you very much.
Unknown Speaker :Great to have you on Thank you.
Unknown Speaker :If you would like to know more about first pathway partners, and how they can help you with a direct Eb five investment, or if you're looking for other visa opportunities such as an E two visa, please contact them directly online at www dot first pathway.com. If you would like to be featured on an upcoming podcast, please contact us by calling 414-431-0742 please now, this podcast is not intended to replace direct legal consultation, nor should it but it should provide you with some insight from our community of immigration experts. I hope you've enjoyed today's show. Transcribed by https://otter.ai