Countries | Residence | United States | EB-5 Visa
Residence by Investment — EB-5
EB-5 Visa — US Green Card by Investment
A US green card now — eligible for citizenship in 5 years.
The EB-5 visa is the United States’ Immigrant Investor Program, administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It grants lawful permanent residence — a US green card — to a qualifying investor and their immediate family in exchange for a capital investment that creates at least 10 full-time American jobs.
EB-5 Program Overview
The EB-5 visa is the United States’ Immigrant Investor Program, administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It grants lawful permanent residence — a US green card — to a qualifying investor and their immediate family in exchange for a capital investment that creates at least 10 full-time American jobs.
TopNation Global acts as your immigration advisor through this process. We assess eligibility, build your source-of-funds documentation, and coordinate the US-licensed immigration counsel and USCIS-designated regional center who handle the petition and the investment itself. We do not prepare the petition or operate as a regional center — our role is to guide the family through the journey end to end. For broader context on living in the United States, see our country overview.
Program Details
Key Benefits of the EB-5 Visa for Your Family
- Live, work, and study anywhere in the United States — no employer sponsor or job offer required.
- Your whole immediate family is included — spouse and unmarried children under 21 each receive a green card.
- No language, age, education, or business-experience requirement.
- A path to US citizenship — green-card holders may generally apply for naturalization after five years.
- US-resident tuition at American universities for your children, versus international-student rates.
- No prior US residence or minimum stay required before applying.
Eligibility Criteria
EB-5 Eligibility — Who Qualifies
EB-5 has no language, age, or business-background test. The core requirements are: USD $800,000 (or $1,050,000) of lawfully obtained capital available to invest, the ability to document the lawful source of those funds, and a family composition of the principal applicant plus spouse and unmarried children under 21.
Source of Funds — the I-526E Reality. Source of funds is the single most-scrutinized element of an EB-5 petition. USCIS must be satisfied that the entire investment — and the funds used to pay related fees — was obtained through lawful means. Acceptable sources commonly include salary and savings, the sale of a business or real estate, gifts from family members, inheritance, and documented investment proceeds. Building a clean, fully-evidenced source-of-funds file is the heart of TopNation Global’s advisory engagement.
- Capital commitment of USD $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (high-unemployment, rural, or infrastructure set-aside) or USD $1,050,000 for a standard, non-set-aside investment
- Investment must create at least 10 full-time US jobs per investor, within approximately two years of admission
- Lawful source of funds — salary and savings, sale of business or real estate, family gifts, inheritance, or documented investment proceeds — fully evidenced for USCIS review
- No language, age, education, or prior business-experience test
- Pass US medical examination and security/background checks at the consular or adjustment-of-status stage
- Family composition limited to the principal applicant plus spouse and unmarried children under 21 (each receives an independent green card)
Application Process
EB-5 Process — Step by Step
The EB-5 journey moves through seven distinct stages, from initial eligibility assessment through to a permanent green card and eventual citizenship. TopNation Global coordinates each stage end to end, working alongside US-licensed immigration counsel and the USCIS-designated regional center.
Step 1 — Eligibility & Source-of-Funds Assessment. TopNation Global reviews your eligibility and maps the documentation needed to evidence your lawful source of funds.
Step 2 — Project & Regional Center Selection. Working with our partners, you are introduced to USCIS-designated regional center projects. You and your independent advisors evaluate any project; TopNation Global does not recommend or sell the investment.
Step 3 — Subscription & Capital Transfer. Once you have independently decided to proceed, the investment is made through the regional center under the documentation prepared by US counsel.
Step 4 — File Form I-526E. US-licensed immigration counsel prepares and files your I-526E petition (Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor) with USCIS.
Step 5 — Conditional Green Card. On approval, you and your family obtain conditional permanent residence (valid two years) via consular processing or adjustment of status.
Step 6 — File Form I-829. Near the end of the conditional period, counsel files Form I-829 to remove conditions, evidencing that the required jobs were created.
Step 7 — Permanent Green Card → Citizenship. Conditions removed, you hold a permanent green card, with eligibility to apply for US citizenship after five years of residence.
Program at a Glance
Key Facts
Current*
India Set-Aside Status
As of the June 2026 USCIS Visa Bulletin, the EB-5 set-aside categories (rural, high-unemployment, infrastructure) are Current for India — no per-country waiting line. *Visa Bulletin reviewed monthly; confirmed at consultation.
Sept 30, 2026
RIA Grandfathering Window
Investors who file Form I-526E before September 30, 2026 are protected under current EB-5 program rules. A policy fact under the EB-5 Reform & Integrity Act of 2022 — not a sales deadline.
2 Years
Conditional Green Card
The initial green card is conditional for two years. Form I-829 is filed near the end of that period to evidence job creation and remove conditions.
I-526E → I-829
Petition Forms
Form I-526E (Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor) opens the case; Form I-829 (Petition to Remove Conditions) finishes it.
10 Jobs / ~2 Yrs
Job Creation Requirement
Each investor’s capital must create at least 10 full-time US jobs, generally within two years of admission as a conditional permanent resident.
Family Included
Spouse + Children Under 21
The principal applicant’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 are each issued an independent green card on approval — one petition, the whole immediate family.
Why Work with TopNation Global for EB-5
TopNation Global is an independent investment-migration advisory firm. We are your immigration advisor for the EB-5 journey: we coordinate US-licensed immigration counsel and USCIS-designated regional centers, and we own the source-of-funds documentation runway that Indian and NRI families most need support with. The petition and the securities aspects of any investment remain with the appropriate licensed professionals.
Our advisory practice brings over a decade of investment-migration advisory experience to the EB-5 journey — a practice built on guiding high-net-worth families through the world’s most complex residence- and citizenship-by-investment programs.
Understanding the EB-5 Program — Deadlines & Context for 2026
Two dated, factual considerations make 2026 a meaningful year for EB-5 planning.
September 30, 2026 — The Grandfathering Window
The EB-5 Reform & Integrity Act of 2022 included a grandfathering provision: investors who file their I-526E petition before September 30, 2026 are protected under current program rules even if the program changes afterward. The set-aside minimum is also expected to be adjusted for inflation in 2027. Filing before the window closes locks the investor under today’s rules — a policy fact, not a sales deadline.
Indian Families — The Set-Aside Route Avoids the Wait
Many US immigration paths have long waiting lines for applicants born in India. EB-5 is the rare exception. The reserved set-aside categories ($800,000 TEA investments) currently have no waiting line for India — so qualifying families can move forward now instead of waiting years. This is the single biggest reason most Indian investors choose the set-aside route over the standard one. Because the position is reviewed monthly, we confirm the latest status with you before you begin.
Our Experience on the Immigration Path
For more than a decade, TopNation Global has guided high-net-worth families through the world’s leading citizenship- and residence-by-investment programs — across the Caribbean, Europe, the Gulf and North America. That experience is what we bring to EB-5: the discipline of building a clean, fully-evidenced file, the judgement to anticipate where applications stall, and an end-to-end coordination of every professional involved so the family experiences one guided journey rather than a dozen disconnected steps.
A US EB-5 Partnership with a Proven Track Record
We deliver EB-5 in partnership with an established United States regional-center group with over a decade of dedicated EB-5 experience. Across that partnership the program has completed 50+ development projects, guided more than 1,200 investor families through the I-526E and I-829 process, and built a strong record of USCIS I-829 approvals (conditions successfully removed) with substantial US job creation — the immigration outcomes that matter most to families seeking a secure, lasting move to America.
Frequently Asked Questions
EB-5 Visa — Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the EB-5 visa?
The EB-5 visa is the US Immigrant Investor Program, administered by USCIS. It grants permanent residency (a green card) to a qualifying investor and their immediate family in exchange for a capital investment that creates at least 10 full-time US jobs.
2. What is TopNation Global’s role in the EB-5 process?
TopNation Global is your immigration advisor. We assess your eligibility, coordinate source-of-funds documentation, and connect you with US-licensed immigration counsel and USCIS-designated regional centers. We do not prepare the petition or operate as a regional center ourselves.
3. How much do I need to invest in EB-5?
The current minimum is USD $800,000 for investments in a Targeted Employment Area (high-unemployment, rural, or infrastructure), or USD $1,050,000 for a standard investment. Amounts are set by USCIS and indexed for inflation.
4. Who in my family can be included?
Your spouse and your unmarried children under the age of 21 are included; each receives their own green card on approval.
5. Is my EB-5 investment guaranteed to be returned?
No. EB-5 is an at-risk investment in a US enterprise, and under US securities law and USCIS precedent (Matter of Izummi) any guaranteed-return promise can disqualify the petition. Project economics, risk, and any protections are discussed only with US-licensed counsel and the regional center, behind a private qualification step.
6. What is the September 2026 deadline?
September 30, 2026 is the end of the grandfathering window under the EB-5 Reform & Integrity Act of 2022. Filing the I-526E before this date locks the investor under current program rules, including the $800,000 set-aside threshold expected to adjust for inflation in 2027.
7. I’m from India — will I be stuck in a backlog?
As of the June 2026 USCIS Visa Bulletin, the EB-5 set-aside categories are Current for India, meaning set-aside applicants face no per-country waiting line at the time of writing. The standard category remains retrogressed. Set-aside status is reviewed monthly; we confirm the current position during your consultation.
8. How long does the EB-5 process take?
Plan for roughly 24-36 months from filing I-526E to a permanent green card, then a further period before naturalization eligibility. Timelines depend on USCIS workload and your country of chargeability. We share current USCIS processing times during your consultation.
9. Can I fund $800,000 from India given the LRS limit?
The Liberalised Remittance Scheme caps each Indian resident at USD $250,000 per financial year, so families often structure the investment across multiple adult family members and/or financial years, with full documentation. NRI investors (including UAE-based Indians) are generally not subject to LRS. This is general information, not Indian tax or RBI/FEMA advice — please consult your Chartered Accountant; source-of-funds strategy is part of our advisory engagement.
Exploring other options? Compare all residence by investment programs or read our 2026 RBI guide.
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