U.S. EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
Also known as: EB-5 · U.S. investor green card · EB-5 visa
What it grants
Conditional (then permanent) U.S. green card via qualifying investment (US$800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or US$1,050,000 nationally) and job creation; citizenship is a later, separate step.
Competent authority: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) / Department of State
Research cutoff 2026-09-19 · 3 source references. Recheck material facts with the listed primary publishers before acting.
Quick answers
Answer-first summary from the source-dated record. Each answer is a research reference, not a personal eligibility decision.
- What does this route grant?
- Conditional (then permanent) U.S. green card via qualifying investment (US$800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or US$1,050,000 nationally) and job creation; citizenship is a later, separate step.
- What is the published entry point?
- 800,000 USD through TEA / rural investment. This is not the total family or professional cost.
- Is physical presence required?
- Physical-presence and intent rules apply to maintaining LPR; extended absences (6–12 months) can trigger abandonment questions.
- Can family be included?
- Spouse and unmarried children under 21 derive status directly.
- Does it lead to citizenship?
- Yes — U.S. naturalization after ~5 years of LPR (3 via qualifying marriage), subject to physical-presence and intent rules.
This route fits if…
- Investors seeking a U.S. green card (and later citizenship)
- Applicants funding a qualifying business or regional-centre offering
- Families (spouse + unmarried children under 21 are derivatives)
Needs professional review
- TEA / rural designation and current threshold
- Source of funds + 'lawfully earned' evidence
- Job-creation evidence for I-829
- Per-country backlog for the applicant's nationality
- Caveat: the 2022 Reform Act's permanent category split (unreserved/registered-fund) — verify current allocation at filing
01Summary
EB-5 grants a conditional green card (2 years) to investors who place a qualifying investment into a new commercial enterprise and show it will create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers. The conditional period converts to permanent residence (I-829) once job-creation evidence is met.
Investment thresholds: typically US$800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA — rural or high-unemployment areas) or US$1,050,000 outside a TEA. Most regional-centre investments rely on the TEA / rural category.
Per-country per-capita caps apply — investors from certain source countries face multi-year backlogs. EB-5 is not a purchasable instant passport and the capital at risk, conditionality and job-creation proof make it a materially different product from CBI or Golden Visa routes.
02Investment options
TEA / rural investment
800,000 USD min · Risk to the enterprise; capital at risk until I-829Targeted Employment Area or rural TEA investment.
Non-TEA national investment
1,050,000 USD min · Risk to the enterprise until I-829Investment in a new commercial enterprise outside a TEA.
03Eligibility
- Qualifying investment at the applicable threshold
- Lawfully earned / source-of-funds proof
- Job creation (10 full-time jobs for qualifying workers)
- Business plan for a new commercial enterprise
- Medical exam + background checks
04Family & dependents
Spouse and unmarried children under 21 derive status directly.
- Spouse
- Children under 21
05Physical presence
Presence is defined per rule dimension below — each with its own counting method. There is no single universal "days per year" number.
Green card maintenance
Physical-presence and intent rules apply to maintaining LPR; extended absences (6–12 months) can trigger abandonment questions.
Counting method: Residence intent is assessed, not a fixed day count.
Naturalization
~129 days5 years LPR (3 via qualifying marriage); 33 months physical presence in a rolling 5-year window.
Counting method: Annual-presence basis (approx 6.5 mo/yr).
06Timeline & duration
I-526(I) adjudication, consular processing / adjustment, then I-829 (after 2 yrs). Backlogs dominate total time. Not a guaranteed date.
Typical: 2–4+ years to permanent residence (2026 reference); longer with per-country backlogs · Duration: Conditional green card (2 yrs) → permanent; citizenship after ~5 years LPR.
- 10-year green card renewal
- Maintain U.S. residence intent
07Costs
Investment capital is at risk and dominates the outlay (and may not be returned). Legal, business-plan and filing fees are comparatively small.
| Component | Basis | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifying investment | Investment capital | 800,000 USD |
Government charges, investment capital, professional fees and other costs are separate. Figures are research references, not quotes; verify them with the responsible authority and qualified professional before acting.
Currency conversions use a reference EUR→USD rate of 1.08 as of 2026-09-19. All program amounts are stated in official currencies; verify current rates before budgeting.
08Documentation
Valid passport (all holders)
primary
Birth certificates
primary
Source-of-funds evidence
primary — Tax returns, bank records, sale docs — a substantial evidentiary file.
Business plan + economic impact study
primary
Investment agreements (regional centre / enterprise)
primary
Medical exam (I-693)
any — Per holder.
Marriage certificate
spouse
Birth certificate
child
09Path to PR & citizenship
Permanent residence
Permanent residence is the grant (after I-829 conditional removal).
Citizenship
Yes — U.S. naturalization after ~5 years of LPR (3 via qualifying marriage), subject to physical-presence and intent rules.
10Risks & refusals
- Capital at risk — may not be recovered
- Per-country backlogs
- Job-creation evidence failure at I-829
- TEA/designation changes
- Abandonment for extended absences
- Caveat: 2022 Reform Act category changes (permanent/registered-fund) — verify current allocation at filing
11Rule versions tracked
Law changes create cohorts — the version in force when you first acquired your permit or filed may govern your case. Both open and closed versions stay on record.
us-eb5-v20192019-11-21 – presentactiveEB-5 Modernization (2019) + 2022 Reform Act changes: permanent category split, rural TEA and higher threshold for non-TEA.
- US$800k TEA / US$1M→US$1.05M non-TEA
- Permanent 'unreserved' + 'registered-fund' allocations
- Rural TEA category
12Sources of record
Current minimums, TEA / rural rules, conditional period.
Per-country per-capita caps and backlogs.
Draft next-review date: 2026-12-19. A listed link and checked date do not certify that a rule is current. Recheck material facts with the responsible authority and a qualified professional before acting.