Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose

#1

Post by pitdesi » Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 5:31 PM UTC

Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose
bottomline.msnbc.msn.com

Re: Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose

#2

Post by lr » Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 5:54 PM UTC

Agree with this or not, this is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking members of Congress need to be doing.

Re: Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose

#3

Post by onemoreact » Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 5:57 PM UTC

lr wrote: post #2

Agree with this or not, this is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking members of Congress need to be doing.

There are several programs that let you 'buy' a Visa and adding another one for the low low price of '$500,000 to buy a home in the U.S.' is not going to do much for immigration or home prices.

Re: Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose

#4

Post by peacemaker » Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 5:59 PM UTC

$500,000 to get a visa? Seems to me like Congress is still catering to the rich.

Re: Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose

#5

Post by sixtofour » Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 6:02 PM UTC

onemoreact wrote: post #3

lr wrote: post #2

Agree with this or not, this is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking members of Congress need to be doing.

There are several programs that let you 'buy' a Visa and adding another one for the low low price of '$500,000 to buy a home in the U.S.' is not going to do much for immigration or home prices.

The $500,000 floor seems to be a benefit for people who have $500,000 houses to sell. Doesn't do much for Joe Sixpack while he's deciding whether to stick or walk away.

Re: Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose

#6

Post by keeptrying » Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 6:02 PM UTC

Which other country does this? I think just lessens the appeal of an usa visa and the USA in general.

Re: Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose

#7

Post by adestefan » Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 6:03 PM UTC

peacemaker wrote: post #4

$500,000 to get a visa? Seems to me like Congress is still catering to the rich.

They already do that with the EB-5 visa. Invest at least $1,000,000 (or $500,000) and keep 10 jobs in the US and you can live here.

Re: Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose

#8

Post by yummyfajitas » Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 6:03 PM UTC

I don't understand - what problem is this supposed to solve?

Re: Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose

#9

Post by lallysingh » Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 6:05 PM UTC

sixtofour wrote: post #5

onemoreact wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are several programs that let you 'buy' a Visa and adding another one for the low low price of '$500,000 to buy a home in the U.S.' is not going to do much for immigration or home prices.

The $500,000 floor seems to be a benefit for people who have $500,000 houses to sell. Doesn't do much for Joe Sixpack while he's deciding whether to stick or walk away.

"'Applicants can spend the entire amount on one house or spend as little as $250,000 on a residence and invest the rest in other residential real estate, which can be rented out,' the paper added."

$250k's not terrible.

Re: Buy a home, get a US visa, Senators propose

#10

Post by blinkingled » Thu, Oct 20, 2011, 6:05 PM UTC

lr wrote: post #2

Agree with this or not, this is the kind of out-of-the-box thinking members of Congress need to be doing.

It's a VISA - not Permanent Residence. When people invest in a residence for a VISA, they generally do so to settle down. So I am not sure how safe the potential home buyers are going to feel investing $500K in a house with the risk that their VISA renewal or entry to the US can be denied 3 years down the road.

Current climate is just not very conducive to hope that something like this will fly.