How much money must I have to make an EB-5 investment?

It is preferable to have well-documented funds in the United States with the purpose of making a qualified EB-5 investment. It can be $1 million or $500,000 depending on the region you are investing in.

Many regional centers require "accredited" investors, which requires a certain level of income or assets. That is, having more than just the $500,000 will probably be necessary.

You MUST show that you have $1 million for the required investment (cash, equipment, etc.). You must also document in detail the source of the funds.

The amount of what needs to be invested depends on the location where the planned business will be located. If the business will be sited in a rural or TEA area, the amount is $500,000, but if it is in a city, the amount will be $1 million. Advisably, consult an EB-5 attorney to determine the appropriate classification of the locale you have in mind.

You must invest either the $1 million or $500,000 depending on where the project is located. You must show that you are an "accredited investor" under the definition of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); you may go to their website to obtain their latest definition.

Yes, you must show that you have the funds necessary and that the funds were lawfully obtained.

You do not have to be an accredited investor to qualify for an EB-5 visa. However, regional centers and other EB-5 issuers must have a valid exemption from the registration requirement mandated by the securities laws, in order to properly offer their equity interests for you to purchase. The most common exemptions used in EB-5 are Regulation D and Regulation S. In order to be eligible to invest in an EB-5 offering that is relying on the Regulation D exemption from registration, you need to be an "accredited investor." Generally speaking, that means you must have either (1) individual net worth, or joint net worth with your spouse, that exceeds $1 million at the time of the purchase, excluding the value of your primary residence OR (2) annual income exceeding $200,000 in each of the two most recent years or joint income with a spouse exceeding $300,000 for those years and a reasonable expectation of the same income level in the current year.

You must invest a million dollars and the money must be at risk. Funds in a bank account are not considered at risk, so you would either have to purchase a business or invest in your own business where your funds were at risk.