Going through the EB-5 visa process can be an exciting time for many foreign investors. From application all the way through getting your Green Card, the EB-5 program offers a bright future, exceptional investment opportunities, and the pathway towards a Green Card.
Read on to learn more about what to expect during the EB-5 visa process.
Start your journey today!
Going Through the EB-5 Visa Process: What to Expect
Each individual’s experience during the EB-5 program is their own and unique to that person. However, beyond your own unique perspective, here’s what you can generally expect when going through the process.
The timeline steps are as follows:
Step 1: Get Started
Timeline: 1-2 months
- Contact us to schedule a free consultation
- Fill out investor questionnaire
- Submit to immigration attorney all documentation required to file I-526 petition
- Submit investment and administrative fee
At the initial stages of the EB-5 visa process, you’ll be gathering information from Houston EB5. The first step is to contact us to schedule a free consultation with us. Then, you’ll fill out the investor questionnaire, and we can discuss more details during your consultation.
During this meeting, we will discuss any questions you may have, your specific situation, and give you an in-depth outline of the process, our regional center, and the current real estate investment opportunities we have available.
Then we will discuss your I-526 application, in order to get your conditional green card. You’ll submit all necessary information to your immigration attorney in order to submit your I-526 at this stage.
We answer any and all questions during your consultation.
Where does my investment go?
At this stage, you will submit your investment to Houston EB5 escrow account:
- $500,000 (if in a TEA) or $1 million investment
- $50,000 administrative fee
Then, you can file your I-526 visa application with the USCIS. Your application is proof of your investment for USCIS. You should hear back within 12-18 months on your approval status.
Finally, the USCIS will give Houston EB5 a receipt and the $500,000 will be transferred to a partnership account.
If for some reason your I-526 application is denied, Houston EB5 will refund your investment. However, note that we have a 100% success rate with I-526 petition approvals.
Step 2: Receive Your Conditional Green Card and Establish U.S. Residency
Timeline: 18-24 months
- USCIS approves I-526 application
- Receive conditional green card
- Two-year conditional residency
Once you file your I-526 application with the USCIS, you must wait for approval. This approval usually occurs within 21-24 months of the EB5 process.
Once the USCIS grants approval of your I-526 application, you will receive your conditional green card. Then you are eligible to become a U.S. resident.
Qualified investors investing through a Regional Center receive a conditional green card valid for two years. Upon receipt of conditional permanent resident status, the investor and immediate family are entitled to the same benefits as other lawful permanent residents, such as traveling around the world without needing a Visa to return to the U.S. and college tuition discounts.
You’re entitled to the same benefits as other lawful permanent residents with a conditional green card.
If you already have lawful status in the U.S., you must file form I-485 to adjust your status to conditional permanent resident.
If you don’t already have lawful status in the U.S., you must file for an immigrant visa by submitting form DS-230 to the National Visa Center. The form must be processed through the U.S. Consulate or embassy in your home country.
An immigrant visa is usually issued in 6-12 months. During the two-year conditional residency, you must fulfill physical presence requirements. In other words, you cannot remain outside of the U.S. for more than one year without getting a re-entry permit.
Step 3: Apply for Your Permanent Green Card
Timeline: 21-24 months
- Regional Center proves job creation on your behalf to USCIS
- File I-829 application with USCIS to remove conditional status
At this stage, you will file your I-829 application with Houston EB5’s help. This application will remove your conditional status and you will then become an unconditional green card holder, i.e. permanent resident in the U.S.A.
The Regional Center you’re working with (Houston EB5) must then prove that your investment has created sufficient jobs, through an I-829 petition. They will prove on your behalf that your investment created at least 10 jobs. This I-829 petition will also prove that you’ve met all requirements of the EB-5 visa program.
Your I-829 petition is submitted to USCIS 90 days prior to the second anniversary of the date when you first received your conditional residency.
Step 4: Receive Your Permanent Green Card
Timeline: 2-4 months
Once your I-829 is approved, the conditional status of your green card is removed. You should now receive your permanent green card. The USCIS usually issues a permanent green card 6-8 months after you submit your I-829.
What happens now?
At this point, you, your spouse, and your unmarried children under the age of 21 may:
- permanently live in the U.S.
- permanently work in the U.S.
- apply for citizenship 5 years from the date you received your initial conditional residency
The EB-5 visa program is one of the most flexible paths to a green card available.
The EB-5 visa program is one of the most flexible paths to a green card available. You are no longer required to manage the business’ day-to-day operations. In fact, you are not required to live in the region where your investment was made.
So if you invest in one our Houston EB5 projects and want to live elsewhere, you can!
Additionally, funds may come from any legal foreign or US source; including gifts, loans, and divorce settlements. Borrowed investment funds qualify if the assets of the target US business do not secure the loan.
Our Newest EB5 Investment Opportunity: The Allen
The Allen is our newest investment opportunity. This landmark mixed-use development features a luxury hotel, condominiums, retail spaces, and state-of-the-art office buildings.
The Allen applies an eye to leading-edge design and exacting detail with never-before-seen architecture in the Houston area. This modern icon offers incredible views of Downtown and Buffalo Bayou Park, and sits at the crossroads of all Houston has to offer. Learn more about The Allen by clicking here.
Start the EB-5 Visa Process Today with Houston EB5!
Houston EB5 is a regional center for the EB-5 program located in Houston, Texas. For more information or to learn how to apply, please contact us online by clicking the button below, email info@houstoneb5.com, or call us at 1-281-326-9347.
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What Is the EB-5 Visa Process Like? | Houston EB-5 – Houston, TX
