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USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme: Cost, Requirements & Processing Time (2026)

The short version

USA EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme has a minimum investment of €688,000 via the capital transfer route and is currently open.

[Data] US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) · verified

Programme detail

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 typeAmount (EUR)NotesPrimary?
Capital transfer€688,000USD 800,000Target Employment Area (TEA) investment — rural or high-unemployment areas. Must create/preserve 10 full-time US jobs.Most common
Capital transfer€903,000USD 1,050,000Non-TEA investment with same 10-job requirement.

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.

Source: US EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program · checked 2026-04-16

Modelled estimate from published thresholds — not immigration, legal, or tax advice. Covers income / savings / age only; other eligibility gates are not modelled.

Check against your savings

At a glance

  • €688,000 minimum qualifying investment
  • 17–120 months expected end-to-end processing
  • 5 years of residence citizenship timeline
  • No Schengen access travel rights
  • ~183 days/yr physical-presence requirement

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 · Verify current rules with an authorized immigration adviser or the destination's consulate before applying.

Next review 2026-12-09.

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Frequently asked questions

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.