Step One

The applicant must file Form I-526, “Petition by Alien Entrepreneur,” with the USCIS. The collection of evidence and selection of an investment project generally takes between 2 and 3 months.

Step Two

Upon approval of the I-526 petition, the applicant must file either:

• Form I-485, “Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status,” with the USCIS to adjust the applicant’s status to a conditional permanent resident, in case the applicant is applying while in the United States, or
• DS-230 or DS-260, “Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration,” with the U.S. Department of State to obtain an EB-5 Visa.

After filing the required forms and documentation, the processing of the petition and the application to adjust status or obtain an EB-5 immigrant visa will generally take between 8 and 18 months.

Once the I-485 application is approved or upon the EB-5 investor’s entry into the United States as an EB-5 Visa holder, the investor’s spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 will be granted the status of conditional permanent residents for a period of two years.

Investing through a Regional Center

A Regional Center is defined as any economic entity, private or public, that is actively involved with the promotion of economic growth, regional productivity, and job creation.

Regional Centers have a more expansive concept of job creation, which allows EB-5 investors to create both “direct” and “indirect” jobs.

Direct jobs are defined as actual identifiable jobs for qualified employees within the commercial enterprise into which the EB-5 investor made his or her EB-5 investment.

Indirect jobs are jobs that are created collaterally or because of capital invested by an EB-5 investor into a commercial enterprise that is affiliated with a Regional Center.

In addition to the advantages mentioned above, investing through a Regional Center allows EB-5 investors to decide whether they want to manage the day-to-day operations of the EB-5 business.

Moreover, Regional Centers are generally organized in Targeted Employment Areas, which means that EB-5 investments made through a Regional Center are usually required to be just $500,000.

The Total Cost of an EB-5 Regional Center Investment

In order to obtain a green card through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, investors will have certain expenses in addition to the $500,000 investments made through Regional Centers. However, because each case is unique and several factors may influence the final cost, the exact dollar amount an EB-5 applicant will spend is impossible to establish.

Generally, the total cost of obtaining a green card through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program consists of the following:

• Capital Investment – Usually $500,000 is sufficient.
• Administration Fee – Typically between $40,000 and $60,000.
• Filing Fees – USCIS requires a filing fee of $1500 for every I-526 form and a filing fee of $1070 for every I-485 form.

Is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program the best choice?

For investors who are thinking about immigrating to the United States with their families, the EB-5 Visa is definitely a great choice, as there are plenty of benefits to obtaining a Green Card.

Permanent residents in the United States have the ability to live and work anywhere in the country, send their children to U.S. schools and universities, and travel to dozens of countries without having to apply for visas, among other benefits.

At Jurado & Associates, P.A., our lawyers assist hundreds of clients from all over the world in achieving their immigration and business goals every year.

Contact our firm today to get started on your EB-5 Application!

Call our offices at (305) 921-0976 or send us an email to [email protected] to schedule an initial consultation with one of our EB-5 experts.