Need a Green Card? Easy….build a Chinese city

EB-5 immigration policy

Funding for the China City of America Project is based on the congressionally-mandated EB-5 program, in existence since 1990, wherein immigrants willing to invest $500,000 in projects that create jobs for American citizens in rural area will be fast-tracked to get permanent resident status for their families.

Similar China Cities have been proposed in Michigan and Idaho. Speculation is that the booming nation is looking to replicate its successful “special economic zone” city of Shenzhen, near the former British territory and free trade port of Hong Kong, which grew from under 1,000 villagers to over 18 million people in 25 years. In China, moves are underway to build tiny pocket cities built from scratch next to crowded urban centers. A Chicago-based architectural firm has designed a master plan for the first of these cities, in Southwest China, to be built within eight years to host 30,000 families, or roughly 80,000 people, in a compact area surrounded by nature…lending it an overall “green” rating.

There are also reports that Chinese investors have bought large tracts of lands near urban centers in at least ten U.S. states, with plans to create Chinese factory towns in the U.S. as a means of “pulling” its massive $1.7 trillion debt. It has also been reported that at least one out of every ten real estate transactions in California these days is to a Chinese investor.

One of the key tourist attractions of Shenzhen, in China, is a theme park presenting highlights of the Chinese provinces, including the Forbidden City and Great Wall, in miniature, as well as a folklore center that offers performances from all districts of the vast and ancient land. An American version of the theme park was later built in Orlando in 1993, but closed ten years later.

Off of I-86

A website for the massive new development being planned for our area, which says it chose Mamakating/Thompson because the area is central to the growth areas of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania (www.chinacityofamerica.com), is itself hooked to a prospectus website filled with information about the green card tax incentives (www.chinacityrrc.com).

“China City of America will provide two residential styles for investors,” the website reads. “For Chinese investors that would like to stay in the United States for a shorter amount of time or have a vacation home overseas, China City of America provides timeshares. For Chinese investors that plan to reside in the United States or have children already studying abroad in the United States, China City of America will have complete single story houses.”

Also provided to Chinese investors will be wholesale and retail opportunities, showrooms…and the various means necessary to draw American tourists, and shoppers, to the attraction, and new city, via the coming I-86 interstate (where Route 17 now is).

How long for the whole process? Three years for the initial elements, and up to 16 to reach full potential.

Given, of course, they make it through the initial planning stages now being entered…including possible casino applications.

As one resident put it last week, reacting to the scale of the proposal as recently presented: “Mamakating needs a good Chinese restaurant here, but not the whole country.”