In EB5 Investors Magazine’s listing of the “Top 25 Immigration Attorneys” of 2020, Houston partner Christian A. Triantaphyllis was featured among the industry’s leading and most influential EB-5 attorneys for the fourth consecutive year.
To be eligible, distinguished immigration attorneys needed to primarily file investor petitions and be available to the public. Honorees were selected by a community-wide nomination and voting process along with editorial input, and are ultimately chosen based on their industry experience, track record, and reputation.
As Chair of Jackson Walker’s Investment Immigration practice, Christian has expanded the Firm’s experience helping businesses, individuals, and families navigate the complex process of obtaining a U.S. work visa or permanent resident status. He has become particularly experienced assisting foreign nationals, entrepreneurs, and high-net worth families worldwide through the EB-5 visa program, preparing and filing I-526 petitions and I-829 petitions for regional centers and direct investors. Christian also assists with E-2 investor visas, L-1 New Office visas for U.S. startups, and immigration law compliance in accordance with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of State.
Outside of his practice, Christian volunteers his time as a member of the Texas chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, a member of the National Peace Corps Association, and is a prior board member of the National Inter-Faith Foundation for increasing affordable housing supply, creating jobs, and providing social services.
The Top 25 Attorneys edition of EB5 Investors Magazine included Q&As with this year’s top immigration attorneys. In his Q&A, Christian discussed trends and possible reforms for the EB-5 industry. Here are his responses:
How Do You Think the EB-5 Program Should Be Reformed?
“I expect the EB-5 regional center program to be reauthorized in 2021. Whether reauthorization occurs by June 30, or later in the year perhaps again attached to the omnibus spending bill, is still undetermined, but with a draft of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2021 already released that addresses regional center integrity measures, longer term reauthorization of the program, increased investor protection, and attempts to accelerate processing times, the EB-5 industry may be in position to thrive for the foreseeable future.”
What New Trends Are You Seeing in the EB-5 Industry?
“COVID-19 has caused both predictability and unpredictability, resulting in various trends in the EB-5 industry. EB-5 investors have focused more on conservative real-estate investments, often on already funded projects or projects involved in residential construction. USCIS values investors who are involved in COVID-19 related medical fields, as expedite processing has been granted for I-526 petitions and green cards applications for such EB-5 investors. Less predictability has arisen though regarding U.S. embassies being open to issue EB-5 visas, as well as USCIS petition processing times, which has resulted in an increase in EB-5 litigation to induce the government to act on long-pending immigration filings.”
To view Christian’s profile and the full list of honorees, click here.
