What sets us apart from other Regional Centers?

Located in the heart of America’s strongest economy, the North Dakota/Minnesota EB-5 Regional Center was the first regional center approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in North Dakota or Minnesota.

  • Experience: The North Dakota/Minnesota EB-5 Regional Center has successfully managed multiple projects in its designation, raising over $330 million in EB-5.

  • Legacy: The North Dakota/Minnesota EB-5 Regional Center is owned and managed by the UND Center of Innovation Foundation (Foundation). Formed in 1984, the Foundation was among the first entrepreneur outreach centers in the nation. To date, over 770 start-ups have been fostered by the Foundation resulting in nearly 7,000 jobs.

  • Award Winning: The North Dakota/Minnesota EB-5 Regional Center was recently recognized by two prestigious national awards. The first was awarded by the State Science & Technology Institute in September 2013, in Portland, Oregon, for Excellence in Technology-Based Economic Development. In May 2014, the National Business Incubation Association recognized the work of the North Dakota/Minnesota EB-5 Regional Center for Increasing Access to Capital. The award was presented in New Orleans, Louisiana.

  • Ownership Role: The North Dakota/Minnesota EB-5 Regional Center does not take an ownership or equity position in the companies it represents. The reason is twofold; first it dilutes the founder and/or developer’s role in the company and secondly it creates a conflict of interest when managing the investors’ needs versus the company’s.

  • Program Based: The North Dakota/Minnesota EB-5 Regional Center is program based versus project based, offering a rolling application process for potential projects.

  • Established Network: Over the years, the North Dakota/Minnesota EB-5 Regional Center has built an extensive network of service providers, agents, and foreign investors.

  • Stable Economy: North Dakota and Minnesota are continually ranked by highly prestigious organizations as the top preforming states. North Dakota was ranked by Moody’s Investment Rating as the “strongest economy in the USA” and by USA Gallup Poll as the “top job creator in the country by a wide margin.”

  • University Affiliated: The Regional Center is located in the Center for Innovation at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The University of North Dakota is a member of the State of North Dakota Government University System.

  • Additional Resources: Full coaching and assistance to companies preparing for an EB-5 investment is provided by the North Dakota/Minnesota EB-5 Regional Center, while being transparent and honest about a project’s ability to successfully raise money from EB-5 investors. In addition, the Foundation has the ability to provide companies additional resources in business start-up and expansion.