EB-5 Visa Requirements 2026: Investment Amounts, Eligibility & Process

Q: What are the requirements for an EB-5 visa?

EB-5 visa requirements include: (1) minimum investment of $1,050,000 standard or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA); (2) creation of at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying US workers within 2 years; (3) lawful source of funds documentation tracing all capital to legal origins; (4) filing Form I-526E (Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor) with USCIS; and (5) investment in a new commercial enterprise or through an USCIS-approved Regional Center.

Q: How much money do you need for an EB-5 visa in 2026?

In 2026, the EB-5 minimum investment is $1,050,000 for standard investments and $800,000 for investments in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) — either a rural area or an area with unemployment at least 1.5 times the national average. These amounts were set by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 and are subject to periodic adjustment.

Q: What is the EB-5 TEA investment amount?

The EB-5 TEA (Targeted Employment Area) investment minimum is $800,000 as of 2026. A TEA is defined as either a rural area or an area that has experienced unemployment of at least 150% of the national average rate. TEA designation must be verified at the time of investment — the reduced $800,000 threshold applies to both Regional Center and direct investments in qualifying TEA locations.

Q: How many jobs do you need to create for EB-5?

EB-5 requires the creation of at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying US workers within 2 years of the investor's admission as a conditional permanent resident. For direct investments, these must be direct employees of the new commercial enterprise. For Regional Center investments, indirect and induced jobs can count toward the 10-job requirement, making it significantly easier to satisfy.

Q: What is the difference between EB-5 Regional Center and direct investment?

Regional Center investments are passive — the investor pools capital with others through an USCIS-designated Regional Center and indirect/induced jobs count toward the 10-job requirement. Direct investment requires the investor to actively manage the new commercial enterprise and only direct employee jobs count. Regional Center is the more common path; direct investment gives more control but has stricter job creation documentation requirements.

USVisaStack Editorial

EB-5 Visa Requirements at a Glance

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Minimum investment: $1,050,000 (standard) or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) — rural or high-unemployment zone
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Job creation: 10 full-time US workers must be employed within 2 years of conditional green card admission
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Lawful source of funds: Complete documentation tracing all invested capital to legal, verifiable sources is required — the #1 RFE trigger
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New commercial enterprise: Investment must go into a qualifying US business established after Nov 29, 1990, or substantially restructured
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I-526E petition: Form I-526E (Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor) filed with USCIS to initiate the process

🏦 Regional Center (Indirect)

$800K TEA / $1.05M standard. Passive investment — indirect & induced jobs count. Most common EB-5 path.

🏗️ Direct Investment

$800K TEA / $1.05M standard. Active management required. Only direct employees count toward 10-job rule.

Check your specific eligibility with the analyzer below ↓ · See also: Green Card Pathway Planner · Visa Finder

Step 1 of 4

What type of EB-5 investment are you considering?

This determines your minimum investment threshold and job creation requirements.

Direct investment in a new commercial enterprise

Minimum $1.05M — you manage the business directly, must create 10 full-time jobs

Direct investment in a TEA-designated area

Minimum $800K in Targeted Employment Area (rural or high unemployment)

Regional Center indirect investment

$800K TEA / $1.05M non-TEA — indirect and induced jobs count, passive management

Not sure yet — still researching options

We'll score based on the most flexible pathway

Step 2 of 4

What is your planned investment amount?

Current EB-5 thresholds: $800K for TEA investments, $1.05M for standard investments (2022 Reform Act).

Under $500K

Below minimum threshold — significant eligibility hurdle

$500K – $799K

Still below TEA minimum of $800K — would need to top up

$800K – $1.04M

Meets TEA threshold — eligible for TEA and Regional Center investments

$1.05M or more

Meets standard threshold — eligible for all EB-5 pathways

Unsure of exact amount

We'll note this as a risk factor requiring clarification

Step 3 of 4

What is the primary source of your investment funds?

USCIS requires full documentation tracing the lawful source of all EB-5 capital — this is a major scrutiny area.

Business income (documented)

Tax returns, financial statements, ownership records available

Investment proceeds (documented)

Stock sales, real estate sales with clear paper trail

Gift or inheritance (documented)

Gift letters, estate documents, donor's source also required

Loan secured against assets (documented)

Mortgage, secured loan — assets must be owned before the loan

Mixed sources (complex situation)

Multiple sources — each must be separately traced and documented

Unclear or not fully documented

Significant RFE/denial risk — documentation work required

Step 4 of 4

A few background questions

Country of birth affects priority date backlog — this is critical for EB-5 planning.

Country of citizenship / birth

Have you worked with a securities attorney on source of funds?

Attorney review of source of funds documentation

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Detailed source of funds documentation checklist
TEA eligibility verification steps
Priority date backlog timeline (by country)
Job creation strategy (direct vs. regional center)
I-526E petition preparation guide
Recommended securities attorneys & regional centers

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EB-5 Visa Requirements at a Glance

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