EB-5 Program
To obtain U.S. permanent residency through the EB-5 Green Card by investment process, immigrant investors, along with their spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21, must navigate through several crucial steps:
Step 1
Investigation & Due Diligence
In the initial phase of the EB-5 process, a potential investor should consider evaluating Eb-5 investment opportunities, including reviewing project documents, and evaluating the track record of the regional center and developer that are involved int eh project. Additionally, the potential investor may want to retain and immigration attorney at this time.
Step 2
Subscribe & Invest
Once the investor has identified a project for EB-5 investment, they will sign the project’s subscription agreement and begin wiring money to the new commercial enterprise.
Step 3
I-526E Petition
After subscribing to a specific project, an EB-5 investor will work with their immigration attorney to file their I-526E petition, which is the initial EB-5 application that is filed with USCIS. The I-526E will include information about the applicant and the project they have selected for their investment.
Step 4
Consulate Interview
After a petitioner’s I-526E is approved by USCIS they will need to schedule an interview with the U.S. consulate in their home country to obtain their two-year conditional green card. If the petitioner is already in the U.S. on another visa, they will need to work with their immigration attorney to file a petition to change their visa status.
Step 5
Conditional Green Card
After successfully completing their consular interview or adjusting status, the petitioner will be able to enter the U.S. on a two-year conditional green card. They will have all the rights and privileges of a permanent green card holder.
Step 6
I-829 Petition
Near the end of their two-year conditional green card the investor will file their I-829 to prove to USCIS that their investment led to the creation of 10 new U.S. jobs.
Step 7
Repayment
After the job creating entity has repaid the new commercial enterprise, the investor can be repaid their original capital contribution of $800,000. The earliest tis can occur is two years after the money has been provided to the job-creating enterprise. Additionally, the job creation requirement must have been met at this time.