Kenyan-American Attorney Targets Wealthy Kenyans with Sh90 Million US Visa Deal

US-based companies have camped in Nairobi to woo super-rich Kenyans to invest in projects abroad in exchange for a green card for them and their families.

Wealthy Kenyans who invest at least Sh90 million ($900,000) in approved investment ventures that create employment opportunities in rural townships in the US qualify for permanent residency visas.

The Trump administration raised the investment threshold for EB-5 visas from Sh50 million ($500,000) to Sh90 million ($900,000) starting November 1st.

Kenyan-American attorney Laban Opande this week opened a corresponding office in Nairobi that facilitates EB-5 visa applications.

Speaking during the opening, Opande said the office to be based at Nairobi’s Meritad Law will handle applications from affluent Kenyans yearning to live, work and study in the US while enjoying privileges of being a citizen.

“Anyone with Sh90 million to invest in Allen mixed-use development (real estate project in Houston, Texas) qualifies for consideration to get an EB-5 Visa that allows them to immigrate to the US together with their children aged below 21 years. They can study, work and access medical care in America,” said Opande.

He added: “Applicants must be people of high integrity and good book-keepers whose source of wealth can be tracked. They must be good taxpayers who are not looking at this opportunity as a conduit to clean their ill-begotten wealth or are causing chaos back home so as to enrich themselves.”

Other companies targeting Kenya’s rich include My American Privilege LLC and Houston EB5 that focuses on real estate ventures, according to Business Daily.

There are 125 Kenyans who belong to an elite group of super-wealthy persons with a net worth of more than Sh3 billion, according to a recent wealth report. Of the 125, 24 percent of them have a second passport or dual nationality.