Investment Programmes
EB-5 Visa (US Investor Visa)
Also known as: EB-5, US Investor Visa, Immigrant Investor Program
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program was created by the Immigration Act of 1990 and substantially restructured by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA). The current framework requires (a) investment of at least $1,050,000 in a US commercial enterprise, reduced to $800,000 if invested in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) — a rural area or one with unemployment ≥150% of the national average; (b) creation of at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying US workers within 2 years (direct or indirect via a Regional Center); (c) the investor must be at risk of loss (a passive secured loan does not qualify).
The RIA introduced reserved visas: 20% of EB-5 visas are set aside for rural projects, 10% for high-unemployment urban projects, and 2% for infrastructure. These set-aside categories typically have shorter processing queues than the unreserved category, particularly for applicants from countries with backlogs (China-mainland, India, Vietnam).
Process flow: I-526E petition (initial) → Conditional Permanent Residence (2 years) → I-829 petition (remove conditions) → Unconditional Permanent Residence → Eligibility for naturalisation after 5 years of permanent residence. The investor's spouse and unmarried children under 21 receive derivative green cards.
For expats considering the US under EB-5, the major caveats are (a) total processing time of 4-7+ years from filing to unconditional green card depending on country of birth and category, (b) full US tax residency from the date of permanent-resident admission (worldwide income subject to US tax, with FEIE/FTC available), (c) FATCA and FBAR reporting obligations on foreign accounts, and (d) the at-risk requirement means the investment can lose value — Regional Center failures have historically left some investors without job creation, jeopardising the I-829 approval. Due diligence on the specific project is the single biggest factor in EB-5 outcomes.
Sources
Last factual review: 2026-05-08.
Related terms
Citizenship by Investment (CBI)
Citizenship by investment programmes grant a passport in exchange for a qualifying investment — typically a non-refundable government donation, real-estate purchase, or business investment. Active 2026 programmes include St. Kitts and Nevis ($250,000+), Dominica ($200,000+), Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Lucia, Vanuatu, Türkiye ($400,000+ real estate), and Egypt. EU CBI programmes (Cyprus, Malta) have been closed or restricted following European Commission and ECJ pressure.
FEIE (Foreign Earned Income Exclusion)
FEIE lets US citizens and resident aliens exclude up to $132,900 (2026) of foreign-earned income from US federal income tax — but not from Social Security/self-employment tax. To qualify, the taxpayer must meet either the Bona Fide Residence Test (full-year tax residence in a foreign country) or the Physical Presence Test (330 full days abroad in any 12-month period). Claimed on IRS Form 2555 attached to Form 1040.
FATCA
FATCA is a 2010 US law requiring foreign financial institutions to report accounts held by US persons to the IRS, and US persons themselves to disclose foreign financial assets above threshold amounts on Form 8938. Thresholds for individuals living abroad start at $200,000 (single) / $400,000 (joint) at year-end. FATCA penalties for non-disclosure are severe: $10,000 minimum per failure, doubling every 30 days up to $50,000.
FBAR
FBAR is the Foreign Bank Account Report (FinCEN Form 114) that US persons file annually if the aggregate value of their foreign financial accounts exceeded $10,000 at any point during the year. Filed electronically with the Treasury Department's FinCEN (not the IRS), separate from Form 1040. Penalties for wilful non-filing can reach 50% of the account balance per year. Due date: 15 April with automatic 6-month extension.
Permanent Residence (PR)
Permanent Residence is the immigration status that entitles a non-citizen to live in a country indefinitely without citizenship, with most resident rights including work, study, and access to social services. Acquired through years of continuous legal residence (typically 5 years in the EU, 5 in the US for most green-card categories, 4-5 in Australia/Canada/NZ). Often a stepping stone to citizenship after additional residence years.
Deeper guides
USA EB-5 Investor Visa 2026: $800K TEA Route, Rural Set-Aside Bypasses China Backlog
USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme in 2026 — $800K TEA or $1.05M non-TEA investment, 10-job-creation requirement, 5-year path to US citizenship. Critical: rural-TEA set-aside (20% of annual visa allocation) bypasses the 5-10 year Chinese-mainland backlog in the unreserved category. Post-Reform-and-Integrity-Act 2022 rules, Regional Center vs direct investment, and the hidden tax cost of becoming a US green-card holder.
Chinese Outbound Visa Comparison (2026): Every Major Route Side by Side
Every major visa route for mainland Chinese and HK applicants compared on minimum investment, income requirements, residency term, path to PR, and 2026 status. Covers MM2H Silver/Gold/Platinum, Thailand LTR, UAE Golden Visa, Hungary Golden Visa, Japan Business Manager + HSP, Singapore EP + GIP, UK Skilled + BN(O), Canada Express Entry + HK Pathway, Australia GSM, US EB-5, Taiwan Gold Card. Investment range US$0 to S$50M.
Singapore Global Investor Programme (GIP) 2026: SGD 10M for Permanent Residency
Singapore's Global Investor Programme in 2026 — three tracks: SGD 10M business investment (30+ jobs, 50%+ Singapore Citizens), SGD 25M in GIP-approved fund, or SGD 200M Single Family Office AUM. Direct-to-PR, 2-year path to citizenship. Dual citizenship NOT allowed — major trade-off. Full analysis of when GIP makes sense vs UAE Golden Visa or EB-5.
Mainland Chinese Emigration Timeline (2020–2026): Every Major Date
Factual, dated timeline of the mainland Chinese emigration wave from Jan 2020 through April 2026. Five phases covering pandemic lockdown surge, May 2022 runxue breakout (100M+ WeChat emigration searches in a single day), 2023 destination tightening, post-zero-COVID acceleration, and the 2024-2026 policy-map rewrite (MM2H relaunch, UAE Golden Visa, Japan Business Manager reform, Singapore GIP S$50M, Canada/Australia foreign buyer bans, US EB-5 China backlog). Citable reference with exact dates.
Moving to the US 2026: $2,000-$3,500/mo, Visa & Cost Guide
Everything you need to know about moving to the US — H-1B, O-1, EB-5, and green card lottery visas, cost of living by city, healthcare, taxes.