LOS ANGELES—An EB-5 conference held here earlier this week focused on the importance of keeping the financing program a priority for lawmakers after they return from recess and before its expiration on September 30. The conference, hosted by EB-5 Investors magazine and featuring a keynote address by House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, brought together lawyers, worldwide investors and developers who each have a stake in the program's continuation.

According to the website EB5coalition.org, the EB-5 Investment Coalition (EB-5IC) is “a broad-based, bipartisan organization of businesses, industry leaders, trade associations and elected officials mobilizing around the shared mission of putting Americans to work by reauthorizing and strengthening the critical EB-5 Regional Center Program.” In fact, employment is a key goal of the program, and its proponents tell GlobeSt.com if the program is allowed to expire, job creation is in danger.

“Folks are very concerned and anxious about making sure the program gets the attention it needs from Congress before it expires,” Laura Reiff, an attorney with law firm Greenberg Traurig in the Washington, DC, area, executive director for the EB-5 Investment Coalition and a panelist at the event, tells GlobeSt.com exclusively. Hopefully, something will happen in September when they get back from recess.”