Korean EB-5 investor Nakcheon Seong and his family immigrated to the United States in 2019 after applying for the EB-5 visa two years earlier.
They now live in Texas, having become permanent residents in June after a five-year journey marked by some challenges, including health issues due to the COVID pandemic, delays in processing times, and mandamus litigation to have their I-829 form approved this year. Throughout their journey, their religious faith and the immigration advice and legal support received from MOS Consulting contributed to a successful EB-5 visa experience after they invested in HomeFed’s Village of Escaya master-planned community project in San Diego.
What drove you to obtain the EB-5 visa?
My wife and I have been high school teachers for more than 30 years, and we decided to immigrate to the U.S. for our son’s education. I realized that my son would have a hard time adjusting to the fierce competition in Korea’s college entrance exams. Although I had traveled to several European countries for vocational education research, I thought the U.S. had the right education system for him.
How did you feel when you got the Green Card or EB-5 approval? What did it mean for you and your family?
I prayed thanks to God. My family is Christian. We had many fears before we first decided to immigrate to the U.S. During the New Year’s [religious] service in 2017, God gave us a word of promise to help us overcome our fears.
Looking back, what was the most rewarding part of obtaining the EB-5 visa for you personally?
I gave my son a big canvas named America to draw his dreams and visions. He is now in a great educational environment and drawing wonderful pictures. He graduated high school in Texas and entered the University of Texas at Arlington to study architecture.
What was the most challenging aspect of your EB-5 visa journey, and how did you overcome it?
The administrative processing time for the I-526 approval, visa interview, and the approval of the I-829 petition took too long. In my case, I wanted to do missionary work in South America. I asked for help after filing my I-829 petition, but it was denied. I was issued an I-829 receipt (original) and later extended the validity to 48 months, but I did not receive the original receipt (only a copy), so I was worried about entering and leaving neighboring countries. MOS Consulting introduced the mandamus lawsuit to me, and with the help of a U.S. lawyer, I quickly received a permanent green card. I will visit the mission field in October of this year as planned.
How did you stay motivated and focused during times of uncertainty or delays in the visa approval process?
The vague anticipation of our new home in the U.S. was mixed with anxiety and the nervousness of waiting. Also, while we waited for our visas to be issued, our lives were somewhat unstable, and we had no work in sight. Suddenly, we went from being a husband-and-wife team in Korea to wondering whether it was a good idea to retire early and immigrate. The five years flew by as we experienced and learned firsthand the hardships of the “modern American frontier,” including a near-death experience with the COVID pandemic six months after arriving in the U.S., a cold snap in Texas that flooded our apartment and left us homeless in the middle of winter, and a golf ball-sized hailstorm that destroyed our car. My anxiety and apprehension about the EB-5 visa process have transformed into gratitude.
What advice do you have for other EB-5 investors?
EB-5 is a very beneficial program but requires an upfront investment and patience in the long wait for green card approval.
Of course, we needed to choose a good and trustworthy consulting firm. We met Lee Byungin, CEO of MOS Consulting, in 2016 when he was the assistant manager in charge. His internal promotion to CEO is very interesting and shows his faith and trust in the company.
The blessing of that meeting made me realize my dream of immigrating to the U.S. I want to thank Mr. Byungin and MOS Consulting for taking care of me and my family like their own family, starting from the introduction of the EB-5 project, to visa approval, conditional green card issuance, I-829 petition, final permanent green card issuance, and early repayment of the investment.
Any anecdote from this experience you’d like to share with other EB-5 investors?
When we moved to the U.S., I planted a flowering tree. The next day, its leaves withered and seemed to have stopped growing. I covered it with compost and watered it diligently, and after a few months, it started to grow new green leaves and flowers. Even trees suffer when they are moved and planted elsewhere. As humans, it is not easy to put down new roots in a new country after leaving our home country. For me and my family, immigrating to the U.S. was a major event in our lives, leaving our home country where we were deeply rooted and planting new roots. Our family’s new history is a testimony of faith.
EB-5 is an opportunity to add a new challenge to your life. Everyone’s circumstances are different, but I encourage you to consider immigrating to the U.S.
What are you currently doing in the U.S.?
My wife and I are both missionaries. I am a vocational training specialist (automobile maintenance: auto painting), and my wife is a Korean language education specialist. We founded the “Do Dream Mission” foundation, which is approved by the U.S. federal government. We are helping missionaries in the U.S. and neighboring South American countries, preparing for the independence of young people by providing vocational training and consulting on the Korean language education system. We teach Korean language and culture to students at The University of Texas at Dallas for free and will teach there in the Fall.
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article are solely the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher, its employees. or its affiliates. The information found on this website is intended to be general information; it is not legal or financial advice. Specific legal or financial advice can only be given by a licensed professional with full knowledge of all the facts and circumstances of your particular situation. You should seek consultation with legal, immigration, and financial experts prior to participating in the EB-5 program Posting a question on this website does not create an attorney-client relationship. All questions you post will be available to the public; do not include confidential information in your question.
