El SalvadorCitizenship
- Min. investment
- $1,000,000+
- Time to approval
- ≈ 6 weeks to approval
- Travel access
- 128 destinations
Residency by Investment
EB-5 Investor Visa
The direct route to a US green card: an $800,000 job-creating investment with no sponsor or employer required.
Time to residency
2–5 years
Minimum investment
$800,000+
Figures as of August 2026, per the official program source — confirmed on application.
Program Overview
About the United States (EB-5) program
In brief
The United States (EB-5) program is a residency-by-investment program that grants the right to live in United States. The minimum qualifying investment is $800,000+, and approvals typically take 2–5 years. Presence requirement: Green card holders must genuinely reside in the US. Figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant.
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program grants US permanent residence to investors who place at least $800,000 into a qualifying job-creating project — no employer, sponsor, or lottery involved.
Timelines are longer than any other program we advise on, and source-of-funds documentation is the most demanding; done properly, EB-5 is the established investment route to US permanent residence.
Presence requirement
Green card holders must genuinely reside in the US
Document validity
Conditional 2-year green card, then permanent; citizenship possible after 5 years
Dual nationality
The US permits dual citizenship if you later naturalize
Program Finder
Plan United States (EB-5) for your family
Estimate the total cost with every government fee, check who in your family can be included, get the document checklist for everyone applying, and see how United States (EB-5) ranks against the other 17 programs.
What the EB-5 green card unlocks
EB-5 leads to US permanent residence — a conditional green card first, permanent once the jobs are proven. What it changes from day one:
- A green card for the familyConditional permanent residence for you, your spouse, and unmarried children under 21 — live, work, and study anywhere in the US with no employer sponsor.
- File and staySince the 2022 reform, eligible investors lawfully in the US can file the green-card application together with the petition and remain while it is decided.
- Work permit and travel while pendingA work authorization and advance-parole travel document are available while the application pends.
- Education on residents' termsChildren attend US schools as residents; in-state university tuition typically follows after establishing state domicile — rules vary by state.
- Citizenship in five yearsNaturalization follows five years as a permanent resident — and time in conditional status counts, provided you genuinely maintain US residence.
Capabilities follow from the status itself — citizenship or residence as the program grants it; specifics are confirmed during your assessment.
Investment Pathways
Targeted Employment Area Project
From $800,000
Investment in a qualifying project in a rural or high-unemployment Targeted Employment Area, typically via a regional center, creating at least 10 US jobs.
At-risk investment held through the conditional period
Standard Investment
From $1,050,000
Direct or regional-center investment outside a Targeted Employment Area, creating at least 10 full-time US jobs.
At-risk investment held through the conditional period
Explore your route
From (indicative)
$800,000
Capital treatment
At-risk investment held through the conditional period
Investment in a qualifying project in a rural or high-unemployment Targeted Employment Area, typically via a regional center, creating at least 10 US jobs.
Who comes with you
- Spouse of the main applicant
- Unmarried children under 21
Family additions are quoted individually — request your exact figure
Application Timeline
Government processing time
The United States (EB-5) authorities publish a processing time for complete files — the numbered stages below show where those months go. Here is the figure to plan around.
2–5 years
Official processing time, complete files
Plan around the top of the range — 60 months end to end leaves room for queries without changing your plans.
Your dates
Complete files are typically processed in 2–5 years.
Based on the officially published range — last re-verified August 2026. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
- 1
Months 1–3
Project selection & investment
Selection of a qualifying project, source-of-funds preparation, and capital commitment.
- 2
Years 1–2
I-526E petition
Filing and adjudication of the immigrant petition; priority processing applies to rural projects.
- 3
Following approval
Conditional green card
Two-year conditional permanent residence via consular processing or adjustment of status.
- 4
Years 3–5
Condition removal
I-829 petition evidencing job creation; conditions removed for permanent status.
Requirements
- Lawful source and path of the full investment amount, documented in detail
- Investment must create at least 10 full-time US jobs
- Investment must remain at risk through the conditional residence period
- Clean criminal record and US admissibility
Family Eligibility
- Spouse of the main applicant
- Unmarried children under 21
Required documents
The standard checklist for a single applicant. Get the checklist for your whole family in the Program Finder.
- Petition — Form I-526E Main applicant
- Source-of-funds file Main applicant
- Project documents Main applicant
- Green-card stage Every applicant
- Civil documents Every applicant
- Condition removal — Form I-829 Main applicant
Exact formats — apostille or legalization, sworn translation, issue dates — vary by your country of origin and are confirmed document-by-document during your engagement.
What to Weigh
Honest advice includes the trade-offs. Before committing to the United States (EB-5) program, consider:
- This is the longest and most document-intensive program we advise on — source-of-funds preparation can take months on its own.
- EB-5 capital must genuinely be at risk; project failure risks both capital and immigration outcome. Project diligence is everything.
- A green card makes you a US tax resident on worldwide income — pre-immigration tax planning is essential.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the $800,000 and $1,050,000 routes?
$800,000 applies to projects in Targeted Employment Areas — rural or high-unemployment locations — which also enjoy reserved visa categories and, for rural projects, priority processing.
Can I live in the US while my petition is pending?
If you are already in the US on a valid status, concurrent filing allows you to apply for adjustment of status and receive work and travel permits while the EB-5 petition is processed.
What happens if the project fails?
If the required jobs aren't created, the immigration outcome is at risk along with the capital. This is why we treat EB-5 project selection with securities-level diligence and independent review.
Regulatory framework
INA §203(b)(5) · 8 U.S.C. §1153(b)(5)
Immigration and Nationality Act — employment-based fifth preference
EB-5 created 1990 · RIA overhaul enacted 15 March 2022
As amended by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-103)
The statute grants conditional permanent residence to investors who place $1,050,000 — or $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project — into a new commercial enterprise creating at least ten full-time US jobs. The 2022 reform added integrity rules, visa set-asides for rural and high-unemployment areas, and concurrent green-card filing; conditions are removed only once the jobs are proven.
View the law (opens in a new tab)Official USCIS program page
Sources & verification
Program terms are set by the issuing government and may change without notice — figures last re-verified against the official source in August 2026. Investment figures are indicative minimums for the main applicant; fees, due diligence, and family additions are quoted individually. Government timelines are not guaranteed.
Alternatives
Related Programs
Families often weigh this program against these alternatives.
MaltaResidency
- Min. investment
- €375,000+routes from €99,000
- Time to approval
- 6–8 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
PortugalResidency
- Min. investment
- €500,000+routes from €250,000
- Time to approval
- 10–14 months
- You receive
- Residence permit
Is United States (EB-5) right for your family?
A private assessment covers eligibility, total cost, and timeline for your situation — and says so if another route fits better.