Kushner family touts visa plan
UNITED STATES: The sister of President Donald Trump’s son-inlaw Jared Kushner has been in China encouraging investors to take part in a controversial ‘‘golden visa’’ programme which provides a path toward obtaining US green cards.
Nicole Kushner Meyer was promoting One Journal Square, a Kushner Companies development comprising two upmarket apartment towers in New Jersey, at events for wealthy Chinese financiers in Beijing and Shanghai. The project is seeking to raise $150 million, or 15.4 per cent of the funding, from foreign investors through the EB-5 visa programme, according to immigration agency Qiaowai, which organised the event.
The EB-5 programme allows wealthy foreigners to obtain US immigration visas by investing at least $500,000 in certain development projects.
It has come under fire from politicians in the US, although it was recently extended until September 30.
Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump and is senior adviser to the president, has a White House portfolio that includes relations with China. He stepped down as chief executive of Kushner Companies in January to take up his White House role. Blake Roberts, a lawyer for Kushner, issued a statement saying he had divested his interests in the One Journal Square project by selling them to a family trust of which he, his wife and his children are not beneficiaries, a course suggested by the Office of Government Ethics.
The statement added: ‘‘He will recuse from particular matters concerning the EB-5 visa programme.’’ The two China events, at which Kushner’s sister spoke briefly, were closed to the media despite being advertised.
According to guests, Kushner Meyer spoke about the family’s humble roots and the building project. In a promotional text message Qiaowai made reference to her relationship to US President Donald Trump, called her the ‘‘heavyweight honoured guest,’’ Reuters reported.
Liu Guoqi, an investor who attended one of the events, told Reuters he was mindful of potential changes to the EB-5 programme after September, such as a raising of the minimum investment to $1.35 million. He said: ‘‘We feel that there isn’t much time left.’’ In Qiaowai’s promotional material it said the visas offered ‘‘peace of mind’’.
Trump himself has said he supports ‘‘merit-based’’ immigration.
Richard Painter, former chief ethics lawyer in President George W Bush’s White House, criticised the events in China as ‘‘highly inappropriate’’.
Painter told the Washington Post: ‘‘They clearly imply that the Kushners are going to make sure you get your visa. They (Chinese applicants) are not going to take a chance. Of course, they’re going to want to invest.’’ - Telegraph Group