How can I afford EB-5?

The investment funds are for EB-5 purpose only. If $1 million is the only capital you have available, you should consider investing within a TEA where the investment requirement is reduced to $500,000. You should consult an immigration attorney to better understand the EB-5 visa and the underlying process.

The source and amount of your EB-5 investment is separate and distinct from your own personal funding. The specifics of timing and entry to the U.S. should be discussed in detail with immigration counsel.

What you live on in the U.S. and the money invested are two entirely different things. But the fact is that if you prepare the EB-5 petition correctly you will have authorization to be employed in the U.S. When I refer to your having the petition prepared correctly I mean this: planned and prepared with the help of an experienced and competent immigration attorney who is minimally a member of AILA and duly licensed to practice law in the United States which makes them in turn able to practice before the USCIS. It''s important to note that the $1,000,000 you invest will be invested and dedicated to the business entity into which you''ve invested that money- it''s no longer in your control to live off of per se. That would be a big mistake and would doom your entire petition. If you''re creating your own firm in the U.S. then, indeed yes you have lots of work to do on a lot of different levels. The firm you create must in turn create ten real actual jobs over a two year period sustained positions for that period of time. If you want more specific information about what this process looks like contact our firm directly, we would be happy to discuss your actual situation at length and give you direct reliable advice on how to proceed. The EB-5 process is a complex one all said. I keep reading and seeing legal ads stating how easy it is. Anyone who guarantees results or says this is simple is not being honest with you. There is no way of knowing how likely success could be or how simple a filing process will be until we have the massive amount of complex financial and business documentation required. The USCIS doesn''t give away green card without adequately proving you are eligible to get the benefit. Logic then dictates that such promises are overly optimistic at the very least. There is no substitute for good preparation and diligent representation- as in all businesses that are successful. Also you will invariably need several different sets of professional people to help you. All the work to deal with your new business, the investment itself and the immigration process cannot be completed by the same company of advisers (with very limited exceptions where the immigrant investor is the sole permanent owner of the business entity into which the money is being invested).

The investment needs to be in place prior to you receiving the visa. If you enter the U.S. on a visitors visa you can try to change your status by investing.

In most cases, this is not a big issue. However, it is a good idea to show that you have additional assets or income to pay your living expenses when you immigrate to the U.S. You do not need an affidavit of support, but it would be helpful to show bank statements showing funds in addition to your EB-5 capital investment, an employment offer letter, and/or a statement from you regarding your intention to seek employment in the United States, and your resume, supporting the likelihood that you will be able to obtain employment.

Depending on the investment, you can invest $500,000 or $1 million. You must be an accredited investor, which means that you have additional money for living in the U.S. Your questions show that you do not have good understanding of EB-5 visa program. Please talk to an immigration attorney for details.

In order to qualify as an accredited EB-5 investor, one has to have a net worth (or joint net worth with spouse) in excess of $1,000,000 USD, or an individual annual income in excess of $200,000 USD, or joint combined annual income with spouse in excess of $300,000 USD. Therefore, if after you invest the 1M, you will have no saving left or income, and the USCIS may not consider you as a qualified investor under the EB-5 program.

Your questions are very complex and raise other questions, except that the investment money has nothing to do with living expenses. Please call me to further discuss in detail.

I think having 2 consultations with an Immigration Attorney will be very beneficial to you. In the first consultation the Immigration Attorney can walk you through the EB-5 Process and what option fits you best. Once you understand the process and options you will need to develop a business plan that fits your type of business or identify a regional center that best matches your investment interests. Once you have identified your business plan or regional center you should have a second consultation for a sanity check and any issues to beware of.

The entire $1 Million will have to be invested in the business. If that is your only source of funds, you should look at a TEA where the investment requirement is $500,000.