EB-5 is the direct route to a US green card by investment. Put qualifying capital into a job-creating US enterprise and you and your immediate family can gain permanent residence. Here is the cost, the process, and the official rules.
Invest $800,000 in a targeted employment area (rural or high-unemployment) or $1,050,000 elsewhere, directly or through an approved regional centre. The capital must be at risk.
Petition as an investor, showing the source of funds and a business plan that will create at least 10 full-time US jobs.
On approval (and consular processing or adjustment of status), you and your family receive a two-year conditional permanent residence.
Near the end of the two years, prove the investment was sustained and the jobs created to obtain a permanent (unconditional) green card.
The minimum is $800,000 if the project sits in a targeted employment area (rural or high-unemployment), versus $1,050,000 for a standard-area investment.
The investment must create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying US workers within roughly two years.
You can run your own new commercial enterprise, or invest through a USCIS-designated regional centre, which can count indirect jobs and is more passive.
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 are included on the same petition and receive green cards too.
Unlike employment routes, EB-5 has no language, education, or business-experience requirement, the qualifying factor is the lawful, at-risk capital.
Reserved EB-5 visa categories exist for rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure projects, which can mean shorter waits for some applicants.
USA
The minimum qualifying investment is $800,000 in a targeted employment area or $1,050,000 in a standard area, plus government filing fees and, usually, legal and regional-centre costs. The investment capital must remain at risk.
Yes. EB-5 is an immigrant category. Approved investors first receive a two-year conditional green card, then file Form I-829 to obtain permanent residence once the investment and jobs are proven.
A USCIS-designated entity that pools EB-5 capital into larger projects. Investing through one is more passive and lets you count indirect and induced jobs toward the 10-job requirement.
It varies widely by project, petition backlogs, and the applicant's country of birth. The conditional period alone is two years, and processing times before and after can add several more, so plan for a multi-year timeline.