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Milwaukee EB-5 Visa program

Regional Immigrant Investor Zone

Offers visas in exchange for qualified investments in a Milwaukee Regional Center
The Milwaukee Regional Center was established in 2007, when it was approved by the Department of Homeland Security to sponsor investment EB-5 in Southeast Wisconsin.

Created to stimulate investment in the U.S. economy and to create new jobs for U.S. workers, the federal EB-5 regional center program has grown rapidly in the last several years.


The program offers foreign investors and their families the opportunity to apply for green cards in exchange for qualified investments in qualified local projects. Investors must be approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) in order to obtain conditional green cards and permanent green cards. To qualify for a green card, a qualified foreign investor must invest a minimum of U.S. $1 million (or U.S. $500,000 in targeted employment areas) in qualified businesses that create at least 10 full-time permanent jobs for U.S. workers. Provided that the investment is maintained and achieves the job requirements of the program, a foreign investor may apply for a permanent green card two years after he or she obtains a conditional green card. 

Sponsored by the MMAC, the Milwaukee Regional Center includes the counties of Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington, Waukesha and Walworth in Wisconsin; Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will counties in Illinois; and Lake county in Indiana.
The Milwaukee Regional Center has received IIUSA's I-829 Award for 4th consecutive years. The award honors those regional centers whose clients I-829 petitions have been approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
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In 2017, the Milwaukee Regional Center expanded beyond the Wisconsin counties of Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha to include the Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Lake and Will as well as Indiana's Lake county.



Success stories

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Blue Ribbon Suites LLC completed the 250,000 square feet Eleven25 At Pabst located in The Brewery redevelopment in 2016. The development features:
  • 151 student apartments
  • An 8,000sf five-restaurant food court
  • A 3,000 square-feet 7-Eleven convenience store
  • Countless amenities including a state-of-the-art fitness center, two atriums, a movie theatre and many study/lounge spaces.
The building is marketed to Marquette University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, UW-Milwaukee, and Milwaukee Area Technical College students. The $42 million project is projected to create (directly, indirectly) or induce over 800 jobs in the area. The occupancy in year one achieved 72%. >>MORE
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Blue Ribbon Redevelopment Fund III, LLC completed the 72,000 square feet Pabst Professional Center located in The Brewery redevelopment in 2014. The development features:
  • Three floors of 42,000 square feet of rentable office space
  • Two decks of parking.
The $13.5 million project created 300 part-time construction jobs, and more than 100 full-time employees now work out of the facility. Within one year of completion, the entire building was fully leased to the following tenants:
  • TCF Bank
  • Klement’s Sausage Company
  • Pabst Brewing Company
  • Safenet Consulting, Inc.
  • Logicalis Group Ltd
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Following the recruitment and signing of a long-term lease with Pabst Brewing Company, Blue Ribbon Redevelopment Fund V LLC completed the roughly 8,000 square feet Pabst Milwaukee Brewery located in The Brewery redevelopment in 2017. The brewpub includes:
  • A 4,000-barrel small-batch brewery on the ground floor
  • A full-service restaurant/taproom on the second floor in the former church sanctuary space.
The project features the triumphant return of a long-lost corporate citizen of Milwaukee, Pabst Brewing Company, and features the first company-run brewery in over twenty years. The $6 million project is projected to create (directly, indirectly) or induce over 100 jobs in the area. The brewery opened to the public on April 14, 2017 (“Milwaukee Day”). >>MORE

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Geneva Ridge OIF LP involves a limited partnership of 37 EB-5 investors who contributed $17.5M out of more than $50M which was required to modernize and save two resorts in Walworth County, Wisconsin, which is located between Chicago and Milwaukee. Geneva Ridge, The Lodge at Geneva Ridge and Geneva National Golf Club, received more than $12M to fund rehabilitation of the hotel and turn it into a modern, state-of-the art destination. OIF also lent $5M to the nearby Lake Lawn Resort, which at the time had been completely closed.
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Geneva Ridge OIF2 LP project is a senior living facility in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This diverse partnership of EB-5 investors hailing from China, Bangladesh, India, the United Arab Emirates, Trinidad and Nigeria is contributed $9.5M as part of an over $40M project. The total cost of the Pabst Brewery rehabilitation and redevelopment exceeds $100M. Construction began in early 2016 with a job creation estimate of about 230. This project is being undertaken in cooperation with Whitestone Realty Capital and is among the five “Towne Club” projects on which our group has worked with Whitestone – others include Peachtree City ILP Partners, GRAL, NFTC, and WALTC. 
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GRAL, LP is a Towne Club development that is virtually identical to the NFTC, LP development, though GRAL is located in Walworth County, Wisconsin. GRAL is also being undertaken in cooperation with one of the original development partners in Overseas Investor Funding, LP. This $40M  project will take place near the Geneva Ridge Resort. Like the other Towne Club properties as well as SWAL and SWIL, this facility will feature several different service levels so that seniors may transition to progressively enhanced care as their needs change, but all within the same facility.  
GRAL, LP raised $9M from 18 investors and the project will create 240 jobs and investor petitions with USCIS have been approved. Additionally funding sources include bond financing, developer equity, and new markets tax credits.

Investment benefits

  • Qualified investors and their families (spouse and any unmarried children under age 21) are eligible for green cards after approval of their applications
  • Although investment must occur within a regional center's territory, the investor and his/her family may live and work anywhere in the United States
  • No minimum requirements as to the investor’s business training, experience or language skills
  • Ability to travel outside of the United States and return to the U.S. without a visa after an investor obtains a green card
  • Education benefits of permanent residents, including admission to state universities at resident costs for qualified residents

The Milwaukee Regional Center is administered by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce Regional Center LLC (“MMAC-LLC”). While MMAC-LLC and its affiliates (collectively, "MMACRC") generally welcome investment in the Milwaukee Regional Center area, MMACRC does not have sufficient information about the investment opportunities identified below to be able to recommend, nor does it endorse, any particular investment opportunity. MMACRC is not, by listing and providing basic information about each investment opportunity, promoting any of the investment opportunities listed.

Investment offerings are not open to U.S. investors; the descriptions of the investment opportunities are neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to purchase any securities.

Banks

The following banks are generally available to provide banking services. Other major international banks may also be used.
Chase Bank
Mr. Richard Bennett
262/717-7536

Wells Fargo Bank
Mr. William Arechiga
312/592-8042

For more information, visit the USCIS website

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Or contact:
Craig Kammholz

Milwaukee Regional Center
414/287-4163
Copyright © 2023 Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
All rights reserved.

301 W Wisconsin Ave., Ste. 220 | Milwaukee, WI 53203 
Tel 414/287-4100 | Fax 414/271-7753 | info@mmac.org
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  • JOIN
  • Membership
    • The benefits of joining
    • Member directory >
      • Member Spotlights
      • Talent Solutions Directory
    • What we do >
      • Talent >
        • Ranking Milwaukee County Schools
        • Education recommendations
        • Technology Education & Literacy in Schools (TEALS)
        • Career-based learning experiences
      • Growth
      • Livability
      • Equity
      • Peer metro comparison
    • Cost saving programs >
      • Health insurance plan
      • Office supply discount program
    • Events >
      • 2021 All Member Meeting
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit
      • Talent Solution Series
      • Emerging Leaders Series
      • Global Business Insights Series
      • Member Orientation
      • Replay: The Business of MKE Series
      • Replay: Race Bridge Series
    • For members only >
      • Fall 2022 Impact Report
      • Sponsorship
      • Advertising
    • Need more info?
  • Networks
    • Leadership Council
    • President's Huddle
    • Executive roundtable program
    • FUEL Milwaukee for young professionals
    • Future 50 Awards Program
    • Networking Forum for referrals
    • Region of Choice Initiative
    • Roundtables for high-growth companies
    • World Trade Association
  • Advocacy
    • 2021-2022 Legislative Scorecard >
      • Senate Votes
      • Assembly Votes
    • Recent Legislative Wins
    • Funding Local Governments
    • Miller Park economic impact study
    • Wisconsin State Legislature
    • K-12 Education Recommendations
  • Economic Development
    • Milwaukee 7 Partnership for Economic Development
    • MKE Venture Mentoring Service
    • Milwaukee Development Corp. >
      • Rebuild & Revitalize Program
    • Milwaukee Urban Strategic Investment Corp. (MUSIC)
    • Milwaukee EB-5 Visa program
    • Starting a business >
      • BizStarts
      • New business planning guide
    • More about Milwaukee
  • Metro MKE
    • 2023 Navigate Business MKE
    • Business outlook survey
    • Economic trends
    • Local media listings
    • Major employers in metro Milwaukee
    • Metro Milwaukee demographics
    • Order a publication
    • Relocating a business
  • About
    • Board of directors
    • Career Opportunities at MMAC
    • Staff
    • Milwaukee Commerce magazine
    • Press releases
    • Members of the media >
      • Recent Media Coverage
    • Scholarships for minority students