United States EB-5 Investor Program
A green card for the investor and family through a qualifying US business investment that creates 10 full-time American jobs, with faster set-aside processing for rural and high-unemployment projects.
United States EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa Overview
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and grants conditional permanent residence to foreign investors whose capital investment creates or preserves at least 10 full-time jobs for US workers. The 2022 EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA) reserved 32% of EB-5 visas for investments in rural areas (20%), high-unemployment areas (10%), and qualifying infrastructure projects (2%) — categories that now process substantially faster than the unreserved pool.
Indohill tracks the Targeted Employment Area (TEA) route — a rural area or a region with unemployment at least 150% of the national average — as the representative figure, since it carries the lower of the programme's two investment thresholds.
Benefits of United States EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa
- US permanent residence (a green card) for the investor, spouse, and unmarried children under 21
- RIA set-aside categories (rural, high-unemployment, infrastructure) now process in approximately 6 to 12 months, materially faster than the 24-to-36-month unreserved-category timeline
- A genuine, job-creating business investment rather than a non-refundable government contribution
- No requirement for a US sponsor, employer, or family relationship — EB-5 is a direct investment-to-residence pathway
- A well-established, decades-old programme with a defined statutory and regulatory framework
Requirements
The investor must place capital genuinely at risk in a qualifying commercial enterprise that creates at least 10 full-time US jobs within the required sustainment period:
1. Targeted Employment Area (TEA) Investment
A minimum investment of $800,000 in a project located in a Targeted Employment Area — a rural area, or a region with unemployment of at least 150% of the national average — creating a minimum of 10 full-time US jobs. (Investments outside any TEA require $1,050,000 instead.)
Procedure
The investor files Form I-526E with USCIS, documenting the capital investment, its lawful source, and the qualifying enterprise's job-creation plan. Reserved-category (rural, high-unemployment, infrastructure) petitions currently process in approximately 6 to 12 months; unreserved-category petitions take materially longer, around 24 to 36 months. On approval, the investor and eligible family members receive conditional permanent residence, with capital required to remain genuinely at risk for a minimum 2-year sustainment period before conditions can be removed via Form I-829.
Fees & Costs
Beyond the $800,000 capital investment itself, applicants typically pay Regional Center administrative fees ($50,000–$100,000), combined USCIS filing fees for Form I-526E and I-829 (approximately $20,685), and separate legal fees ($15,000–$30,000) — total out-of-pocket costs beyond the investment capital typically range from $90,000 to $165,000. Indohill discloses the full statutory and legal fee breakdown for this programme, and every other programme we track, in the Global Matrix Marketplace fee breakdown tool before you commit to a specific project.
The Investment Capital Must Remain Genuinely At Risk
Unlike a fixed-term bank deposit or bond, EB-5 capital must remain genuinely at risk of loss for the full sustainment period — a defining, legally required feature of the programme under the "at risk" doctrine developed through USCIS policy and case law. Indohill confirms this risk profile plainly with every client, rather than presenting EB-5 as capital-protected.
Background & Legal Considerations
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is established under Section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as substantially reformed by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA), which introduced the current visa set-aside categories and enhanced integrity measures. USCIS administers the program and adjudicates Form I-526E and I-829 petitions.
Why Indohill Advises This Program
- A private, advisor-reviewed intake — every application is scoped by a person, with TEA designation and Regional Center standing independently confirmed before any project is recommended
- Coordination with independently licensed US immigration counsel and EB-5 project due-diligence specialists, vetted against Indohill's Certified Partner Network standards before any introduction is made
- Full statutory and legal fee disclosure through the Global Matrix Marketplace, including realistic total out-of-pocket costs beyond the investment capital, before you commit
- The same 5-phase advisory methodology Indohill applies across every program, from initial audit through lifelong governance and renewal support
United States EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa FAQ
Related North American Programs
Comparing North American options? View every North American program we track in the Global Matrix Marketplace →
Discuss United States With an Advisor.
Private, discreet, and scoped to your family's or government's objectives.