Washington Post Calls for End of Investor Visas

A Washington Post editorial called for eliminating the investor visa (EB-5) program sometimes called the “million dollar” visa program. Given the paper’s long-standing pro-immigration advocacy, this position was noteworthy.

The editor’s view is that the, “EB-5 has shown paltry results…”  It also noted that all too often the program has been tarnished by fraud. The paper did not oppose the program because it consists of selling visas to entrepreneurs. “Notice we haven’t said EB-5 is wrong because it’s immoral for the U.S. government to sell visas.”  Rather, the WaPo opined, “…let the thousands of visas set aside for EB-5 applicants be reassigned to immigrants who are worthy even if they aren’t rich.”

FAIR shares the view that the investor visa program should be ended and has warned against the current congressional proposal to reauthorize these visas. “Congress should shut down the program and devise a rational, skilled-based legal immigration policy. Then many of the people buying their way in with EB-5s might otherwise qualify as skilled immigrants,” FAIR wrote in 2011.

This editorial stance of the WaPo is probably one of the few areas on which the paper and FAIR agree. The paper has long supported visa increases and amnesty for illegal entrants and visa overstayers. No change in this position has appeared since the paper was bought by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

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Jack Martin: Jack, who joined FAIR’s National Board of Advisors in 2017, is a retired U.S. diplomat with consular experience. He has testified before the U.S. Congress, U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform and has authored studies of immigration issues. His national and international print, TV, and talk radio experience is extensive (including in Spanish).