- What is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program?
- What are the benefits of the Green Card?
- Who is eligible to receive permanent residency (Green Card)?
- Are EB-5 visas available to persons from any country in the world?
- Where can I find copies of relevant forms, laws, and regulations to study?
- What is the difference between a “conditional” and a “permanent” Green Card?
- What issue typically causes the most problems when applying for an EB-5 visa?
- How long must I remain in the United States each year?
- What is the difference between permanent residency and citizenship?
- What’s the best way to lower risk in an EB-5 Investment?
- What is a New Commercial Enterprise (NCE)?
- What is a Job Creating Entity (JCE)?
- What is visa retrogression?
- What are “Reserved EB-5 Visas” or “Set-Asides”?
- What are “Unreserved” EB-5 Visas?
- What is the Sustainment Period?
- What are the steps for processing an EB-5 visa application?
- If my I-526E petition is approved by the USCIS, what is the purpose of the Consulate application and interview, and how soon do I get my Green Card?
- After petition approval, can members of the family interview in different countries?
- What is an “escrow” account and when does the investor transfer the money into this account?
- How does the bank escrow account protect me against the risk of losing my money?
- What is Concurrent Filing for I-485 Adjustment of Status and how does it benefit EB-5 Investors?
- Who is eligible for Concurrent Filing?
- When can I apply for US citizenship?
- Do investors need to be actively involved in the day-to-day activities of Regional Center Projects?
- What are the advantages of investing in a rural project in a Micropolitan Area?
- May I invest less capital in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) Project?
- Do I have to live where the project is?
- Can I make money with my EB-5 Investment?
- How is the EB-5 loan model different than the equity model?
- What is the minimum required amount of capital to be invested in order to apply for an EB-5 visa?
- Must I have previous business experience or education?
- Must I speak English?
- What is meant by the requirement that the investor’s assets be “lawfully gained”?
- If I want to move to the United States and invest in an EB-5 project with Houston EB5 Regional Center, do I have to live in Texas?
- Can an EB-5 investor from a retrogressed country apply for Concurrent Filing?
- How many direct and indirect jobs do I need?
- Can I travel outside the US for extended periods after I get my green card?
- What is a Regional Center and what advantages do they offer to EB-5 investors?
- Who should invest in an EB-5 Regional Center project?
- What are Indirect and Induced Jobs?
- Why is Job Creation safer with a Regional Center Project?
- Do I get faster Processing of my I-526E Immigrant Petition if I invest in a Regional Center project?
- What makes Houston EB5 unique?
What is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program?
The US Congress created the EB-5 Program in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation by attracting investments from qualified foreign investors. In return, the EB-5 Program provides a direct path to US Permanent Residency and US Citizenship for qualified foreign investors, their spouses, and unmarried children under 21 upon approval of their I-526E Immigrant Investor Petition.
Over the years, the EB-5 Program has become very popular as it is a straightforward path to obtaining permanent U.S. Green Cards. Since 2000, more than 117,000 EB-5 investors from across the world have become U.S. residents through the EB-5 program.
Under the EB-5 Program, each investor is required to invest a minimum of $1,050,000 USD, or a reduced amount of $800,000 USD when investing in high-unemployment or rural targeted employmet areas (TEAs). Additionally, they must prove that their EB-5 investment has either created or preserved a minimum of 10 full-time American jobs.
The EB-5 Visa was originally conceived for individual entrepreneurs that would fund and manage their own businesses. Under the original program, investors would only be able to claim job creation for direct employees on their payroll.
In 1992, Congress boosted the economic impact of the EB-5 program by authorizing the creation of Regional Centers to pool EB-5 capital from multiple foreign investors to fund projects with substantial job-creation impact on regional economies. Regional Center investors benefit greatly as they can claim not only direct jobs, but also indirect and induced jobs from capital expenditures on construction activities and project revenues. In this way, Regional Centers reduce the challenges of the required employment creation and provide a safer path with regards to the immigration path.
As part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103), President Biden enacted the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA) on March 15, 2022 to improve the transparency and efficiency of the EB-5 Regional Center Program and extended it through September 30, 2027.
