USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme: Cost, Requirements & Processing Time (2026)
The short version
USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme requires a minimum investment of €688,000 (capital transfer route), with residency in ~17–120 months and a path to citizenship in 5 years.
Investment routes compared
Route type
Amount (EUR)
Notes
Primary?
Capital transfer
€688,000USD 800,000
Target Employment Area (TEA) investment — rural or high-unemployment areas. Must create/preserve 10 full-time US jobs.
Most common
Capital transfer
€903,000USD 1,050,000
Non-TEA investment with same 10-job requirement.
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Eligibility check
Do your investable assets meet United States's golden-visa minimum?
Investable assets:$800,000
This threshold is above a ~$375k investable-asset profile.
Modelled estimate from published thresholds — not immigration, legal, or tax advice. Covers income / savings / age only; other eligibility gates are not modelled.
Physical presence: US green card holders must establish US residence; absences over 6 months risk abandonment of residency.
Official program source · Source:US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) · Last verified Sep 9, 2026 (2 days ago) · Verify current rules with an authorized immigration adviser or the destination's consulate before applying.
What is the minimum investment for the USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme?
The minimum qualifying investment is €688,000. ~€688K (USD 800,000) Target Employment Area (TEA) investment; USD 1,050,000 non-TEA. Amounts adjust automatically for CPI-U inflation for petitions filed on or after 1 Jan 2027 (EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act). Qualifying routes: Capital transfer (€688,000); Capital transfer (€903,000) Most applicants use the Capital transfer route (€688,000).
How long does the USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme take to process?
Expected end-to-end processing is ~17–120 months. Rural-TEA unreserved: ~17 months to conditional green card. China-mainland applicants: 5-10 years backlog for unreserved visas; rural/high-unemployment/infrastructure set-asides bypass backlog.
Can I get citizenship through the USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme, and when?
Citizenship is available after 5 years of legal residence. Green card to US citizenship requires 5 years (4 if married to US citizen), English + civics test. Citizenship via investment is a 7-10 year total for China-origin applicants under unreserved category.
What is the physical-presence requirement for the USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme?
US green card holders must establish US residence; absences over 6 months risk abandonment of residency.
Are my spouse and children included in the USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme?
Spouse, minor children can be included.
Does the USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme grant Schengen access?
No. USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme does not by itself grant Schengen-area travel rights.
Is the USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme currently open to new applicants?
The programme is currently open.
Who regulates the USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme?
USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme is administered by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The canonical source is https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-fifth-preference-eb-5/about-the-eb-5-visa-classification. Facts last verified 2026-09-09; next review 2026-12-09.