Money was also taken from a neighbouring business, EB Jones Garages, during a second break-in which police said happened at around the same time.

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An EB-5 visa was a viable option for my friend.

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There were 7, 641 visas issued through the EB-5 program in 2012, a record year.

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The Times takes a close look at how the visa program, known as EB-5, operates in New York state, and finds that developers often configure project districts to make it appear as though they lie in neighborhoods with high unemployment.

FORBES: Job Creation Program Stretches Claims About Low-Income Neighborhoods

Henry Liebman is chief executive of American Life, a Seattle-based real estate company that manages around 15% of all EB-5 projects nationwide.

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As a pediatric oncologist and stem cell transplant specialist, his area of focus was initially cancer research, but he saw a challenge -- and an unmet need -- in rare diseases like EB.

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Since the credit crunch, there has also been a dramatic increase in the number of U.S. companies seeking EB-5 funding.

FORBES: Job Creation Program Stretches Claims About Low-Income Neighborhoods

Purchasing a home is often the largest investment most Americans make: The definition for the EB-5 should be expanded to include purchases of residential property.

FORBES: To Create Jobs, Streamline The Issuance Of Visas

In addition, investments under EB-5 primarily go toward existing projects, with the immigrant investor serving as a limited partner.

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Tabarrok suggests that visas like the EB-5 should be adjusted to count home purchases as an investment that earns a green card for the investor.

FORBES: To Create Jobs, Streamline The Issuance Of Visas