Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection: Application for Regional Center Under the Immigrant Investor Program

AGENCY:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

60-Day notice.

SUMMARY:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment upon this proposed extension of a currently approved collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden ( i.e., the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual information collection instruments.

DATES:

Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 60 days until January 24, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

All submissions received must include the OMB Control Number 1615-0061 in the body of the letter, the agency name and Docket ID USCIS- 2007-0046. Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal website at https://www.regulations.gov under e-Docket ID number USCIS-2007-0046.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, telephone number (240) 721-3000 (This is not a toll-free number. Comments are not accepted via telephone message). Please note contact information provided here is solely for questions regarding this notice. It is not for individual case status inquiries. Applicants seeking information about the status of their individual cases can check Case Status Online, available at the USCIS website at https://www.uscis.gov,, or call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Statutory authorization to set aside visas under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program expired at midnight on June 30, 2021. See Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act 1993, Public Law 102-395, 106 Stat. 1828, § 610(b), as amended. The Regional Center Program was originally created as a pilot program with authorization to set aside visas under the program for a five-year period. However, since its advent in 1992, Congress has reauthorized or extended the visa set-aside under the program at least 30 times, most recently through June 30, 2021. Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, Public Law 116-120, div. O, title I, § 104, 134 Stat. 1182, 2148 (substituting “June 30, 2021” for “September 30, 2015” in § 610(b) of Public Law 102-395). Based on the history of prior Congressional reauthorizations and extensions, absent any indication that future reauthorization is not forthcoming, and also in the interests of keeping Form I-924 current, USCIS has decided to extend this form without change.

Even if the visa set-aside under the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program is not reauthorized, USCIS would need to maintain this form for the limited use of when the application indicates that it is an amendment to an existing regional center's name, organizational structure, ownership, or administration.

Comments

You may access the information collection instrument with instructions or additional information by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal site at: https://www.regulations.gov and entering USCIS-2007-0046 in the search box. All submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov,, and will include any personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You may wish to consider limiting the amount of personal information that you provide in any voluntary submission you make to DHS. DHS may withhold information provided in comments from public viewing that it determines may impact the privacy of an individual or is offensive. For additional information, please read the Privacy Act notice that is available via the link in the footer of https://www.regulations.gov .

Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies should address one or more of the following four points:

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility;

(2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used;

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and

(4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

(1) Type of Information Collection: Extension, Without Change, of a Currently Approved Collection.

(2) Title of the Form/Collection: Application for Regional Center Under the Immigrant Investor Program.

(3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the DHS sponsoring the collection: I-924, I-924A; USCIS.

(4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals representing any economic unit, public or private, in the United States that is involved with promoting economic growth. This collection will be used by such individuals to ask USCIS to be designated as a regional center under the Immigrant Investor Program, to request an amendment to a previously approved regional center designation, or to demonstrate continued eligibility for designation as a regional center under the Immigrant Investor Program.

(5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated total number of respondents for the information collection I-924 is 21 and the estimated hour burden per response is 51 hours. The estimated total number of respondents for the information collection I-924A is 625 and the estimated hour burden per response is 14 hours. The estimated total number of respondents for Compliance Review is 40 and the estimated hour burden per response is 24 hours. The estimated total number of respondents for the information collection during the Site Visit is 40 and the estimated hour burden per response is 16 hours.

(6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated with this collection is 11,421 hours.

(7) An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated with the collection: The estimated total annual cost burden associated with this collection of information is $2,344,605.