If you have made the decision to come to the United States under an eb5 visa, which is often referred to as a business investor visa, you have plenty of options. You might have the perfect idea of how to start a business, and now that you have the capital, you might wonder what to do next. If you want to save money and work on your own time, you will be interested in starting your new company, or improving an existing business, at a Regional Center in a Targeted Employment area.

If you are weary of spending $1 million on a new business in the U.S., you can halve that investment, as long as you are willing to spend it somewhere that really needs it. At least one Targeted Employment area exists in nearly every state, and there are about 50 Regional Centers for you to choose from. Such an area has a higher than average unemployment area so your investment will be very helpful, and best of all, you only have to spend $500,000. One of these centers happens to be in the Midwest, so if middle America, lots of agriculture, and friendly people sound appealing to you, consider using your business investor visa at the Chicagoland Foreign Investment Group.

Developed as a Regional Center in March 2009, this is the only one in Illinois approved by the USCIS, and is unique in that you will have the freedom to create your own business model and your very own project. As long as your proposed company involves one of the targeted industries, you can see your dream business come to life through the business investor visa. Selected industries include food and hospitality, agriculture and forestry, education, manufacturing, healthcare, and arts and entertainment. Clearly, you will have a wide range from which to choose at this center.

The goal of the Chicagoland Regional Center is to create jobs and improve the surrounding areas, which include 14 vast counties. The included cities range from skyline-filled Chicago and all its suburbs to small villages surrounded by flat farm country, like Poplar Grove, Blackberry Township, and Essex, to name just a few. The northeastern Illinois area is known for its array of growing businesses and increasing population, which makes it perfect for a new company.

If this area of the United States has caught your interest, you can find more information about this particular center at meetings like the Chicagoland Regional Center Summit, held in the spring. Representatives from the area also make appearances at more general events, like the annual U.S. Investment & Immigration Expo, held in the fall. At such meetings, you can talk to leaders of the center. You also might have a chance to learn about the experiences of other foreign immigrants who have used the business investor visa route to start a new business or improve an existing company at the Chicagoland Regional Center. Whether you like small cities based on the success of their agricultural efforts or prefer larger urban centers, the Midwest just might be the place for you to start a new company and a new life.