THE EB-5 PROGRAM.

In 1990, Congress established the EB-5 immigrant visa program to attract foreign investment from qualified individuals into the U.S. economy. This program is aimed at investments that will either create or preserve a minimum of ten full-time jobs. Typically, an investment of $1.05 million is required, although this is reduced to $800,000 in rural or high-unemployment areas.

 

To further boost foreign investment, Congress introduced an EB-5 pilot program in 1993, allowing the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) to designate specific applicants and locations as Regional Centers. These centers, which may be either private enterprises or regional government agencies, focus on targeted investment programs within designated geographical areas. The vast majority of EB-5 investments in the U.S. are channeled through these USCIS-approved Regional Centers.

 

A significant benefit of investing through a Regional Center is the ability to include indirect and induced jobs in meeting the job creation requirements of the EB-5 program. This is particularly beneficial for construction projects, as it allows job projections from economic analyses that would not normally qualify.