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Pathway

U.S. Investor Green Card

United States Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

EB-5 offers a route to a U.S. green card if you invest legally obtained money in a qualifying business that creates at least 10 full-time jobs for eligible U.S. workers. You can invest directly or through an approved regional center, an organization that sponsors EB-5 investment projects.

Investment
Usually USD $1,050,000, or USD $800,000 for a qualifying targeted area or infrastructure project
Jobs
At least ten qualifying full-time jobs for eligible U.S. workers
Funding and timing
Lawful funds; scheduled investment adjustments begin January 1, 2027

Summary

The EB-5 program allows eligible investors to apply for U.S. permanent residence through a new commercial enterprise, either directly or through a USCIS-designated regional center. It usually depends on the investment amount, lawful source of funds, job creation, and whether the project meets EB-5 rules.

For petitions filed on or after March 15, 2022, the minimum is generally USD $1,050,000, or USD $800,000 for a qualifying targeted employment area or infrastructure project. The law schedules inflation adjustments starting January 1, 2027, so check the required amount before investing. Government application fees are extra. A final rule changes EB-5 fees for requests postmarked on or after November 30, 2026. See the EB-5 policy briefing and check the fees for your filing date.

Investment approval is one part of the green-card process
  1. Check the project and funds Verify the investment category and amount, document the money's legal source, and assess the business and job-creation plan.
  2. Complete the immigration application steps Meet the petition requirements, then the separate visa-availability, entry, and processing rules.
  3. Receive conditional permanent residence Approval inside the U.S. or entry with an immigrant visa starts the two-year conditional period.
  4. Apply to remove the conditions File Form I-829 during the required window with proof of the investment and jobs.

Direct and regional-center investments use different job evidence. Neither project nor petition approval guarantees a green card or investment return. Check how long the investment must remain in place separately from residence dates.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The investor generally must show:

Regional-center cases can count qualifying indirect jobs under the statute and must comply with the Reform and Integrity Act, project-application, fund-administration, promoter, and regional-center requirements. Targeted employment area status is determined under current federal rules, not by an old state letter.

Policy watch 1 development we’re tracking
The USD $1.05 million and USD $800,000 minimums will change
Enacted — not yet in effect

The USD $1.05 million and USD $800,000 minimums will change

Current official stage: Automatic statutory adjustment scheduled; new amounts not yet published

Petitions filed from 1 January 2027 must use the adjusted investment amount USCIS publishes. A separate final rule changes EB-5 filing fees for requests postmarked from 30 November 2026. Budget for government filing fees separately from the qualifying investment; the new fee rule does not set the 2027 investment minimums.

Timing: The investment adjustment applies on 1 January 2027; USCIS has not yet published the resulting minimums. Separately, a final EB-5 filing-fee rule published on 30 September 2026 takes effect on 30 November 2026 for requests postmarked on or after that date. That fee rule does not announce the adjusted investment minimums.

Last checked
References
Read the full briefing

What This Route Allows

An approved petition plus an available visa number can lead to two-year conditional permanent residence for the investor, spouse, and unmarried children under 21. Near the end of the conditional period, the investor files Form I-829 to show the investment and job-creation requirements were sustained and to remove conditions.

The statute reserves EB-5 visa numbers for rural, high-unemployment, and infrastructure investments. Visa availability still varies by category and country.

What This Route Is Not

EB-5 is not a government-guaranteed investment, guaranteed green card, or simple real-estate purchase. USCIS designation or approval is not an endorsement of financial safety. Get independent advice on the investment's risks, including fraud, project failure, possible reinvestment of your money, and financial loss.

Petition approval does not guarantee visa issuance or admission. Nationality-based immigrant-visa restrictions may apply to applications at U.S. embassies or consulates.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the current investment amount, program authorization, reserved visa category, and Visa Bulletin position before transferring funds.
  2. Obtain independent immigration, securities, tax, and investment advice; do not rely solely on the project's promoter.
  3. Trace every source and transfer of funds, including gifts, loans, sales, taxes, and currency exchanges.
  4. Review the business plan, job-creation method, investment documents, conflicts, fees, exit terms, and regional-center compliance.
  5. Plan for both the I-526E/I-526 petition and later I-829 proof; keep records throughout the process.

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Sources