What is the minimum net worth criteria for an EB-5 investor?

Some regional centers require this; others do not.

There is no minimum net worth requirement or proof of accredited investor status under the EB-5 law or regulations. The regulatory requirement is that the invested funds come from a lawful source. There are SEC rules about who may qualify as an "accredited" investor, and many EB-5 developers seek safe harbor from securities registration requirements by offering their projects only to accredited investors. The EB-5 project usually will have a questionnaire and documentary requirements to prove accredited investor status as a prerequisite to participate in their project. You should seek advice from a qualified attorney in SEC matters if you need more detailed information.

If you are an investor living in your home country where you are making the decision to invest in an EB-5 project based upon information supplied to you in your home country, you may not need to be an accredited investor.

USCIS does not require that you be an accredited investor to qualify for an EB-5 visa. This is rather the U.S. securities law requirement. If you plan to invest through a project within an approved regional center in the United States, then a regional center will generally require that you complete an investor suitability questionnaire or equivalent documentation and attest that you are an accredited investor with certain other exceptions. In this context, to be an accredited investor, you must meet either one of the following requirements: (1) have an individual net worth, or joint net worth with your spouse, of more than $1 million at the time you purchase an interest for investment less the value of your primary residence (i.e. your main home), or (2) have an annual individual income of more than $200,000 or annual joint income with your spouse of more than $300,000 in each of the preceding two years and a reasonable expectation of the same level of individual or joint income in the current year (i.e. 2012, 2013, and 2014).

Being accredited is not necessarily required, but projects may be limited with how many non-accredited investors they can accept.

There are projects that do accept investors that are not accredited. To be an accredited investor, a single person must earn at least $200,000 in the last two tax years, or $300,000 for married couples. Please contact a qualified EB-5 attorney if you have a question regarding your qualifications for the EB-5 visa program. Regardless of whether you are accredited or not, you will still need to invest the required funds to qualify.

The $200,000 income for the past three years and $1 million in net asset is a guideline not a requirement. However, in order to show that you had $550,000 minimum in disposable income to invest in an EB-5 project/business, you will need to show that you had accumulated close to that in liquids assets like savings, or that you could liquidate to invest like real estate.

Many EB-5 projects are limited to "accredited investors." although there are certain projects that may be able to accommodate "non-accredited investors." Since this is a complex issue, you should consult with an experienced immigration and/or securities attorney for a more detailed analysis of your case.

Yes, you need to be an "accredited investor." The current definition is available from the SEC on their web site.