Realtors in Florida are finding that many of their foreign homebuyer clients are interested in turning their future visits to the United States into more than just a three to six month excursion. I recently gave a presentation to some Realtors about this subject.
My educational presentation to these Realtors centered around the many opportunities that exist for foreigners to invest in the U.S and consequently obtain some type of immigration visa if they qualify.
I came across some interesting stats while doing some research for this presentation. Here are some key points from the International Homebuyers in Florida Report of June 2014.
- Non-resident international buyers accounted for almost $30 billion in purchases over the years 2011 – 2013
- An estimated 60,369 purchases by non-resident internationals are expected to be transacted between 2014 – 2016.
- In 2013, buyers from Latin America and the Caribbean were the largest group (32%) beating out the historical favorite, Canada (30%), Europe is next (27%).
- The correlation between international visitors and international home purchases is high.
The last point confirms my belief that the more foreign nationals come to Florida on vacation, the more that will return to buy property. And in turn, some of these property investors will want to pursue immigration visas through business investment or through professional employment opportunities.
The Realtors asked a lot of questions as we discussed E-1/E-2 Treaty Trader/Investor visas, L-1A/L-1B Intracompany Transferee visas, EB-5 green card visas, and H-1B professional worker visas. Not all foreign investors want to pursue living in the U.S. long term, but for those who do, at Heitz Immigration Law, we can help turn aspirations into actionable goals. Give us a call for a consultation.
