EB-5 Investment Visa
An EB-5 investment visa, otherwise known as an investment green card, requires a substantial financial commitment to create additional employment in the US. The EB-5 Visa is based on a qualifying US investment. Unlike an E-2 visa, the EB-5 visa does not require applicants to manage the day-to-day affairs of a business. In addition, applicants for the visa may invest in an existing or a new business, more than one person may invest, and applicants may be a minority owner. Applicants can also live anywhere in the United States –– regardless of where the investment is made.
Have questions about or need assistance with this process? Contact our Texas immigration attorneys today at (214) 307-5510.
New EB-5 Investment Amount
The EB-5 visa was first created in 1990. Since that time, the minimum investment amounts required to obtain the visa remained the same: $500,000 for an investment in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) or $1 million for non-TEA investments. The Department of Homeland Security defines TEAs; they are either rural areas or places with high unemployment. However, as of November 21, 2019, the investment minimums were raised to meet inflation. The new EB-5 investment stipulations are:
- $900,000 for TEA investments
- $1.8 million for Non-TEA investments
EB-5 Requirements
In addition to the investment requirements, applicants for an EB-5 visa must meet other qualifications. The largest of which is the requirement to create 10 jobs in the US as a result of the investment. To summarize, there are three ways to meet the investment and job-creation requirements for an EB-5 visa.
- Invest $1.8 million in a non-TEA and hire 10 full-time employees.
- Invest $900,000 in a TEA and hire 10 full-time employees.
- Invest either $1.8 million in a non-TEA or invest $900,000 in a TEA and create 10 full-time indirect or induced jobs as a result of the investment.
Also, EB-5 applicants must prove that they are investing in a “new business.” For the purposes of this visa, a new business is either one that was formed after Nov. 29, 1990, or one that has been purchased and restructured, or expanded through investment resulting in at least a 40% increase in the net worth or number of employees.