Investor Requirements
The applicant must invest in a new, expanding, or troubled business.
New: created or restructured after November 19, 1990
Expanding: existing net worth or number of employees by a minimum of 40%
Troubled: has existed for at least 2 years and incurred a net loss of at least 20% during the previous 12-24 month period. If investing in a trouble business investor petitions to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) can be based on jobs ‘saved’ by the investment verse the investment creating 10 director or indirect jobs.
The applicant must invest $1,800,000. If the project is in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) the minimum investment requirement is reduced to $900,000. The investment must stay at risk throughout the entire process.
The investor must demonstrate that the investment capital was “lawfully gained” and the required capital is at risk for investment purposes. Necessary documentation (primarily consisting of tax records for past 5 years) will need to be submitted to the USCIS for green card review – we suggest investors utilize one of the referred lawyers who specialize in EB-5 documentation to facilitate this process.
The business must create at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers.
The investor must enter the U.S. within 180 days of visa issuance. The visa holder must demonstrate the “intent” to be a resident. This includes:
Renting or buying a home
Opening bank accounts
Obtaining a social security number
Obtaining a driver’s license
Paying applicable taxes
Maintain Permanent Residency