USCIS EB-5 Engagement on December 3, 2012

(Source: USCIS)

 "Dear Stakeholder,

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites interested parties to participate in a conversation with USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas regarding the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program on Monday, December 3, 2012 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern). During the engagement, Director Mayorkas will discuss EB-5 policy and procedural issues and take questions from participants.  

To Participate in the Session:
You may attend this engagement either in person or by teleconference. However, those attending via phone will be in listen-only mode. If you wish to attend in person, attendance is limited to the first 100 people who register. To register, please email the Public Engagement Division no later than Friday, November 30, 2012 at Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov.

If you plan to attend in person, please reference “EB-5 Conversation – In Person”
If you plan to attend by phone, please reference “EB-5 Conversation – Phone”

To Join the Session:
Following registration, we will confirm your attendance in person or by telephone. If you are attending in person, please be sure to bring photo identification and arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow extra time to complete the security process. If you are attending by phone, please use the information below to join the session.

Call-in Number: 1-888-324-8192
Passcode: EB5

 
Kind Regards,
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services" 

- USCIS, Nov. 19, 2012.

Banks Pummeled by Low Rates

 

An article in the Wall Street Journal dated October 23, 2012 stated that due to the current “superlow” interest rates in the United States, the Banking Industry is experiencing its lowest net profit margin in three years.  

The eroded net profit margin (which tracks how much banks earn on funds borrowed from depositors which are in turn lent or invested) has caused sliding lending profits, causing banks to close branches, weigh additional fees and roll back customer favorites, such as free checking.  The average margin for the industry’s largest banks is at 3.12%, the lowest since 2Q 2009.  

Over time, these downsized profits are likely to accelerate a downsizing process that has halved the number of insured institutions over the past two decades.  The spread between banks’ deposits and lending rates has narrowed in part because of low Federal Reserve-influenced rates and decreased demand for loans amid the soft economic growth.  As their higher-yielding loans mature, banks are being forced to replace them with assets that carry much lower rates.  If interest rates begin to rise, these new loans may prove to be unprofitable. 

Higher costs for banking services could push more people out of the financial system altogether, adding to the millions of customers already considered as lacking access to affordable financial services.

Webinar from IIUSA regarding Regional Centers 2012 Annual Reporting (Form I-924A)

(Source: IIUSA) Regional Centers don't forget to get your I-924A completed and submitted to USCIS by December 29, 2012. Join IIUSA on 11/9 for a webinar regarding Regional Centers 2012 Annual Reporting (Form I-924A).

SIGN UP HERE -  http://iiusablog.org/events/iiusa-host-119-webinar-regional-centers-2012-annual-reporting-form-i924a/