在美国工作是许多人的梦想，但只有少数人在渴求美国绿卡艰难道路上成功。考虑所有可选方案，EB-5 显然是有能力投资50万美金的中国学生的最好选择。让我们解释为什么:

1. For one, the popular H-1B temporary work visa is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, making the U.S. immigration process more competitive than ever. To receive an H-1B visa, applicants must not only meet the H-1B’s professional requirements but must survive a bleak lottery system. In this year’s lottery, 230,000 applicants competed for 85,000 H-1B visas, meaning only 1 in 3 were selected. For foreign nationals seeking U.S. work visas, this means job security and livelihood is left to the luck of the draw. For businesses seeking skilled labor, this means the H-1B is an unreliable and costly gamble, and fewer employers are willing to sponsor. While the H-1B visa can serve as a work permit to stay in the U.S. while a green card is pending, getting one can often be a nightmare for foreign workers.

一来，大受欢迎的H-1B临时工作签证变得越来越难，美国移民过程比以往任何时候更具竞争力。如要获得H-1B签证，申请人必须不仅需要满足H-1B的专业要求，而且需要在无情的H-1B抽签中存活。今年有23万申请人争夺8万5000个H-1B签证名额，只有1/3的中选率。对于寻求美国工作签证的外国人，这意味着抽签的运气决定了工作的稳定和去留。对寻求技术熟练雇员的企业来说，H-1B是既昂贵又不可靠的冒险，很少有雇主愿意赞助H-1B签证。虽然 H-1B 签证可以作为留在美国等待绿卡申请的工作许可证，但拿到这中签证对很多外国员工来说是一场噩梦。

2. Further, receipt of a non-immigrant visa far from guarantees that the road to the green card will be easy. Let’s look at the options on the table: The EB-1 green card is for the few who have risen to the very top of their field, and EB-4 is mainly for religious workers. Most students will not qualify for EB-1 or EB-4.

再来，拿到非移民签证远不能保障通往绿卡之路变得轻松。让我们看看几个选项: EB-1 绿卡是给已经在某领域金字塔顶端的少数人， EB-4 用于宗教工作者。大多数学生不符合申请EB-1或EB-4的条件。

3. That leaves us with the EB-2 and EB-3 categories – the two most basic employment based options for a green card. EB-2 requires a master’s degree, while EB-3 allows a bachelor’s degree or two years of work experience. EB-2/3 green cards are obtained via PERM Labor Certification where the employer has to a.) show there are no U.S. workers fit for the job or b.) prove that a foreign national possesses the ability to make a nationwide impact in his or her field. The process is therefore arduous and costly for employers and involves long wait times for the foreign workers.

给我们留下的EB-2和EB-3绿卡，也是两个最基本职业移民绿卡选项。EB-2需要至少硕士学位，而EB-3需要学士学位或两年以上工作经验。EB-2/3绿卡必须通过雇主按以下要求申请PERM劳工证：a.必须证明没有符合岗位条件的美国雇员，或者b.证明外国雇员在其领域具有能够产生有全国性的影响的能力。以上的过程对雇主来说既艰巨又昂贵，伴随着外国雇员的漫长等待。

4. Speaking of long wait times, EB-2/3 Chinese green card applicants must typically wait 4-5 years to actually apply for the green card. See extracts from the April 2015 Dept. of State Visa Bulletin below. This is after they have already waited for their PERM Labor Certifications and I-140s to be processed and approved. Note that the August 2015 Visa Bulletin has an unusually short EB-2 wait time of less than 2 years. However, this wait time is not at all realistic. The government is merely using up all the allocated visa numbers for the end of the immigration fiscal year which is September 30th.

说到漫长等待，EB-2/3的中国申请人通常必须等待4-5年才能申请绿卡。请参考2015年4月美国国务院职业移民排期的节选。这是在等待PERM劳工证申请和I-140申请获得批准后额外的等待。请注意，2015年8月的美国国务院职业移民排期的EB-2等待时间异常短，少于2年。然而这个等待时间是不现实的。政府只是在9月30日财政年度结束前使用掉预分配的签证名额。

5. EB-5 is the best option for international students because anyone with $500,000 to invest can apply. You don’t need employer sponsorship, and won’t be forced to stay with the same U.S. employer for 4 to 6 years. You won’t have to show that there are no Americans fit for the job, or that you will make a national impact in your field. Lastly, the wait times are much more manageable for students and there are no tricky lottery systems involved. If you are Chinese, this should be great news.

EB-5 是国际学生的最佳选择，因为任何可以投资50万美元的人都可以申请。你不需要雇主赞助，也不会被迫为同一美国雇主工作4到6年。你无需证明没有美国员工可以胜任你的工作，或是证明你在本领域有全国范围的影响，学生在等待期间可以灵活安排，之中也不用经历棘手的抽签系统。对中国人来说是个好消息。