US immigration authorities announced Tuesday a series of immigration policies to facilitate permanent residency to foreign investors that contribute to job creation and startup companies in high unemployment areas.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas said the objective is to stimulate foreign investment in the technology sector as to benefit foreign workers with specialized training.

“The United States must continue to attract the best and brightest from around the world to invest their talents, skills, and ideas to grow our economy and create American jobs,” said Secretary Napolitano in a press release.

USCIS has published a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document on its website clarifying that entrepreneurs may obtain an employment-based second preference (EB-2, foreign workers with advanced degrees and individuals of exceptional ability in the arts, sciences, or business)

H-1B (specialized foreign worker) FAQs have also been updated to clarify valid employer-employee relationship and the EB-5 (Immigrant investor) program is also being further enhanced by transforming the intake and review process.

The EB-5 program facilitates permanent resident to foreign investors and their families when at least $500,000 are destined to entrepreneurial developments in US soil and creates as a minimum  10 jobs.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as of June 30, 2011 the EB-5 initiative has reported a $1.5 billion in capital investment and created at least 34,000 jobs.

Read the press release here