一些网友来信问：最近几个月，国内媒体几乎是铺天盖地、说到美国花50万美元买房地产，就可获得绿卡。是那样吗？答曰：有那可能性；但严格说，不是那样的。

美国有种签证叫EB-5，官方全称为“EB-5 Immigrant Investor ”，即外国人可通过投资手段而获得在美较长时间居留的EB-5签证。其老美官方原文说明是：Visa Description： 
USCIS administers the Immigrant Investor Program, also known as “EB-5,” created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors. Under a pilot immigration program first enacted in 1992 and regularly reauthorized since, certain EB-5 visas also are set aside for investors in Regional Centers designated by USCIS based on proposals for promoting economic growth. 

该签证的待遇是：投资者本人及直系家属（譬如配偶和子女）可在美国连续居留数月（比普通旅行签证居留时间长许多）；两年后，若本人还保留着该投资的资产所有权、便可申请绿卡，再五年后可申请入籍。

获得EB-5签证的投资内容要求多种多样，其基本数量要求原文是：Required minimum investments are:--General. The minimum qualifying investment in the United States is $1 million. 
--Targeted Employment Area (High Unemployment or Rural Area). The minimum qualifying investment either within a high-unemployment area or rural area in the United States is $500,000. 

第一条是一般性的与在美国当地创造就业机会有关的投资，起码数额是一百万美元；第二条是特别目标投资，起点是50万美元，其投资目标必须是失业比例高于全国平均水平的地区或是农村地区。

所谓到美国花50万美元购买房地产可获得绿卡的说法，在数字方面是套用上述第二种起码要求之数字，但在内容方面却做了改变（若不说“篡改”）。

简而言之，通过到美国搞投资可获得EB-5签证；享有该签证可获得更佳居留待遇（譬如可以早些开始进入申请和受理绿卡的手续过程），但该签证不是绿卡。还有，颁发EB-5签证有年度名额限制，并非所有的投资者都能获得EB-5签证。


网友还问道：国内有评论说，此事在国内炒得火热，缘故是美国房地产商瞄准中国人的钱包了。到美国买房地产比在中国买房产更合算吗？中国人到美国购置房地产、会不会重蹈日本人的覆辙呢？

答曰：此话不错，也没啥可愤慨的：哪个商人不瞄准潜在客户的钱包呢？中国商人不也一样、瞄准海外潜在客户的钱包么？不知道潜在客户在哪里、不知道哪些客户的钱包有多大，那就不是成熟商家了。

就市场角度看，在美国或在中国搞房地产投资都有市场风险，譬如泡沫破裂导致房地产价值惨跌。从法律角度看，中国法规允许房产但不允许地产的私有，而美国是房产地产都可私有，因此，仅此而言，在美国的房地产投资的安全系数更高些。譬如，简单对比：在中国，地方主管有地产产权而购置房产的居民却没有地产产权，于是，法律保障了地产产权拥有者总是比房产产权拥有者的权势地位更优越，那些主管为地产利益而对房产者高强迫拆迁、就是经常发生和可能造成失控局面的事情了。而在美国，房地产权大体是一篮子，因而，搞拆迁很困难、搞强迫拆迁就更困难。就是说，美国市场的产权风险比中国的要低许多。

而就在中国和在美国搞房地产哪个更合算而言，我不知道。理由：具体情况、具体分析，投资是否合算和哪个投资更合算要看许多因素；每个人的具体情况条件是不同的、特别是个人的投资期望及实现期望的实力发展是彼此很不相同的，因而难以有个“统一回答”。换句话说，中美房地产市场都是市场，哪个对您合算或更合算，需要您做做具体的权衡利弊、或向您的投资顾问做做具体咨询。

至于中国人到美国投资房地产会不会重蹈日本人的覆辙？我的看法是不会。

1980年代，有个日本人在美国疯狂购置房地产的热潮，甚至有日本公司把美国财富象征的洛克菲勒大厦都买下来了。可后来，美国房地产泡沫破裂，日本公司不得不以低得多的价格、又把洛克菲勒大厦卖了回去。表面上看，那是日本公司大大地亏了血本；实际上，那是美国日本之间的有意识的资金互动战略措施之一，其目标是美国市场对日资充分开放、如同日本市场对美元充分开放一样，彼此对等相当，以此在全球强化日元的国际货币地位，从而完成“七国首脑会议”提出的强化日本在西方甚至在全球的地位、为首脑会议前的财政部长会议更有实效而提供货币条件的主张。在那个背景下的美日资金互动，全部情况是这里亏而那里赢，因而，总的说来，那措施大大强化了美日之间各方面的结盟关系和大大强化两国的国际地位，是个很有实效的“双赢”。

就当前和可见未来看，中美之间还不存在货币彼此充分开放的机会条件。重要的是，冷战结束后，美国避免在全球“单挑”，随之而来的是美国避免美元在全球“单挑”，因而，即便中美两国硬是采取货币彼此充分开放的做法，那对提升人民币的国际货币地位当然有巨大作用、但远不如1980年代对提升日元的作用那么强大了。就是说，就中美两国货币金融关系而言，中国人到美国搞房地产的投资没有两国货币彼此充分开放的背景，因此，不管是亏还是盈，都是极为有限的，不会对两国关系发生什么重要影响。简单说吧，就现实而论，中国人到美国搞房地产投资、基本上是以“纯商业动机”或“改变个人身份”为目标的投资，跟两国关系如何和两国国际社会地位如何、几乎都是完全无关的，因此，就目前和可见未来而论，中国人到美国搞房地产投资，是不会重蹈日本人的覆辙的。


附件：美国移民局介绍的关于通过投资获取EB-5签证的法规说明（原文）：
 

标题：INA: ACT 203 - ALLOCATION OF IMMIGRANT VISAS 连接：http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.f6da51a2342135be7e9d7a10e0dc91a0/?vgnextoid=fa7e539dc4bed010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD&vgnextchannel=fa7e539dc4bed010VgnVCM1000000ecd190aRCRD&CH=act

相关内容要点：Sec. 203. [8 U.S.C. 1153] 
(a) Preference Allocation for Family-Sponsored Immigrants. - Aliens subject to the worldwide level specified in section 201(c) for family-sponsored immigrants shall be allotted visas as follows: 

(1) Unmarried sons and daughters of citizens. - Qualified immigrants who are the unmarried sons or daughters of citizens of the United States shall be allocated visas in a number not to exceed 23,400, plus any visas not required for the class specified in paragraph (4).

(5) Employment creation. - 

(A) In general. - Visas shall be made available, in a number not to exceed 7.1 percent of such worldwide level, to qualified immigrants seeking to enter the United States for the purpose of engaging in a new commercial 4/ enterprise (including a limited partnership)-- 

(i) 4/ in which such alien has invested (after the date of the enactment of the Immigration Act of 1990) or, is actively in the process of investing, capital in an amount not less than the amount specified in subparagraph (C), and 

(ii) 4/ which will benefit the United States economy and create full-time employment for not fewer than 10 United States citizens or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence or other immigrants lawfully authorized to be employed in the United States (other than the immigrant and the immigrant's spouse, sons, or daughters). 


(B) Set-aside for targeted employment areas.- 

(i) In general. - Not less than 3,000 of the visas made available under this paragraph in each fiscal year shall be reserved for qualified immigrants who 4/ invest in a new commercial enterprise described in subparagraph (A) which will create employment in a targeted employment area. 

(ii) Targeted employment area defined. - In this paragraph, the term ``targeted employment area'' means, at the time of the investment, a rural area or an area which has experienced high unemployment (of at least 150 percent of the national average rate). 

(iii) Rural area defined. - In this paragraph, the term ``rural area'' means any area other than an area within a metropolitan statistical area or within the outer boundary of any city or town having a population of 20,000 or more (based on the most recent decennial census of the United States). 

(C) Amount of capital required. - 

(i) In general. - Except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, the amount of capital required under subparagraph (A) shall be $1,000,000. The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of State, may from time to time prescribe regulations increasing the dollar amount specified under the previous sentence. 

(ii) Adjustment for targeted employment areas.- The Attorney General may, in the case of investment made in a targeted employment area, specify an amount of capital required under subparagraph (A) that is less than (but not less than 1/2 of) the amount specified in clause (i). 

(iii) Adjustment for high employment areas.-In the case of an investment made in a part of a metropolitan statistical area that at the time of the investment - 

(I) is not a targeted employment area, and 

(II) is an area with an unemployment rate significantly below the national average unemployment rate, the Attorney General may specify an amount of capital required under subparagraph (A) that is greater than (but not greater than 3 times) the amount specified in clause (I). 

(D) 4/ Full-time employment defined.--In this paragraph, the term `full-time employment' means employment in a position that requires at least 35 hours of service per week at any time, regardless of who fills the position.