EB5 Investors Magazine English Edition Volume 6, Issue 2 | Page 39

TOP IMMIGRATION AT TORNEYS MONA SHAH MONA SHAH & ASSOCIATES GLOBAL | ATTORNEY U.K. born, Mona Shah, a former British crown prosecutor, has ex tensive knowledge of all facets of U.S. immigration law. Recognized as an industr y leader in EB-5, Shah has received many accolades for her work, including being voted a Top 25 EB-5 attorney five years in a row. She has been interviewed by Fox Business, Al Jazeera and the New York Times. Shah is a published author, a Lexis Nexis editor and regularly speaks worldwide. She hosts the first EB-5 podcast series and is an adjunct professor at Baruch College and a member of the presidential advisory board for IIUSA. WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY? There is a marked decrease in investment as the program faces multiple headwinds, uncertainty and speculation relating to issues such as visa backlogs, securities issuances violations and a new minimum investment amount that reflects the economic realities of today. Smaller, more diverse projects have begun to replace traditional large- scale real-estate projects. Obvious trends include the shift in market focus, pivoting away from China toward the Indian subcontinent, Latin America and the MENA regions. There is a heightened awareness of the program and a notable increase in available information, which is a sharp contrast from only a few years ago. WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE EB-5 INDUSTRY? I have been practicing U.S. immigration law for 23-plus years. My experience includes complex immigration litigation as well as business immigration. I had been involved with EB-5 stakeholders long before the surge in popularity of the regional center program. The EB-5 realm continues to be an exciting and dynamic area of the law, embodying a wide range of specialized knowledge: business, immigration and securities law to international marketing and country conditions. I possess a good understanding of the core underlying areas and I have a flair for marketing, making EB-5 a natural fit for me. Securities counsel to EB-5 issuers [email protected] • + 1 (206) 257-2107 EB5INVESTORS.COM 39