Green Card Through Investment: EB5 Investor Visas

Foreign nationals can obtain permanent residence in the United States, commonly called "green card, through an investment of $500,000 or $1million dollars in the US.   If you have a net worth of $1,000,000 and you can invest at least $500,000 in the US, we can help you to get the green card for you and your family members.

Benefits for Investors

• If you qualify for a green card through investment, you, your spouse and children under 21 can get green cards.
• You can live anywhere in the United States and stay as long as you desire.
• You do not have to run a business in the US if you do not want to.
• You can travel in and out of US without a visa.
• After you have held your green card for at least five years, you and your family can apply for US. citizenship.

Requirements for the Green Card Application

• You must be able to invest at least $500,000 in the U.S.
• You must be able to show that the money you invested was obtained through lawful methods
• You must be able to prove the source of the investment.

Requirements on Holding Green Card

• You must maintain the business investment in the U.S.
• You must intend to treat US as your place of permanent residence.
• You may not travel abroad for longer than 6 months or longer than 12 months without obtaining travel document.
• You must file US income tax return on your worldwide income (you need to consult tax professionals).
• If you must abide by US laws, or your green card could be taken away and you can be deported from the U.S.

Investment of $1 Million Dollars

If you want to manage or operate the business by yourself, you can invest a minimum of $1million in creating a new U.S. business or expanding one that already exists. The business must employ at least ten full-time American workers during the first two years. The investor, spouse and children cannot be counted among the ten employees, but the investor must be active in the management of the company.

Investment of $500,000 Dollars

If you want to manage or operate the business by yourself, you can invest $500,000 if the business is located in a rural area or in an urban area with an unemployment rate certified by the state government to be at least 150% of the national average. Currently the most popular half milion dollars investment is on an economic development project of a regional center, which must be approved by USCIS for foreign investment.   The regional center manager must be able to produce a copy of the EB-5 Regional Center Investment approval letter. Please note that the regional centers are NOT owned by or affiliated with a government agency.  No EB-5 investment funds are guaranteed by any one or organization even though some regional center promotors tended to give the potential investors an impression that they can get their full investment back after a certain period of time of investment!

In addition to case investment, certain loans, mortgage agreements, promissory notes, security agreements may be included in the minimum capital requirement.  Multiple investors may invest in the same enterprise at the inception of the enterprise. Please contact Xielaw if you are interested in obtaining a US permanent residence through investments.

  Summary of EB-5 Investment Based Green Card Process

  Investment Immigration Process for EB-5 Investors

  EB-5 Investor Visa FAQs

  List of Regional Centers Approved for EB-5 Investment