How rich people can buy their way into the USA

If you want to come to the United States on a green card, you may as well get in a very long line and wait your turn. Generally the process takes months, and up to a year, sometimes more. However, for those who have money, there is a special line you can enter.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - As part of the recovery plan for the U.S. economy, the federal government is handing out green cards to any foreign investor that invests at least $500,000 on a project in the U.S. that creates at least 10 jobs.

It is a legal option to buy your way into the country.

If you do it, your entire family becomes eligible to move into the country and reside here legally. Aside from the money and the jobs, the only catch is that there is a 10,000 per year cap on the visas issued to such persons.

It seems a bit un-American to allow one class of people to have preference over another, however there is nothing new to the notion that money buys privilege in the United States.

The program has already demonstrated great success and may even become permanent as Congress mulls the option to enshrine it into law. It's popular with Congress because it creates jobs and brings foreign investment into the country. Foreigners like it because it's an easy option.

Matchmakers have sprung up to serve on both sides of the border. These matchmakers pair rich foreigners with qualifying projects in the U.S. Once the cash is delivered, the visas are issued and the investor, along with the family, can resettle in the U.S. and watch their investment go to work.

The program isn't without risk however. Foreigners are susceptible to fraud, and some projects end up collapsing. Unscrupulous entrepreneurs sometimes want the foreign cash without regard for the soundness of their business plan. When these plans collapse, investors can lose their money.

Investors have learned to become more conservative as a result.

Still, the program enjoys support and is bringing foreign money into the country. It is also bringing foreign investors and their families to live here as well. We are all familiar with low-end immigration where thousands of people cross oceans and deserts to work long hours for low pay in America. It's interesting to see that this also holds true for wealthy immigrants too.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'