About EB-5

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is a federally-sponsored investment program coordinated by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  The goal of the program is to facilitate the flow of foreign investment in the U.S. economy and promote the creation of U.S. jobs.

The EB-5 program provides foreign nationals with the opportunity to become conditional residents upon making an investment of $1 million, or $500,000 if in a designated Targeted Employment Area (TEA).  The investment must be in new commercial enterprise and the investment must create, directly or indirectly, ten (10) new jobs for U.S. workers.  Once this requirement is met, the investor may obtain permanent residency.

For more information about the EB-5 program, please visit the USCIS website.

EB-5 Program Overview
  • EB-5 is an immigrant investment program
  • Each investment must create 10 American jobs (directly or indirectly)
  • Can lead to permanent green card (no required renewals)
  • No requirement the investor live in area where investment made
  • Spouses and children under 21 are included
  • No maximum age, net worth, business management experience, or language proficiency requirements


The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service administers the Immigrant Investor Program, also known as “EB-5,” created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the U.S. economy through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors.  First enacted in 1992 and regularly reauthorized since, Section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) allocates 10,000 “EB-5” immigrant visas per year to qualified individuals seeking Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status on the basis of their capital investment in a commercial enterprise (the EB-5 regulations may be found at 8 CFR 204.6 and 8 CFR 216.6, respectively).


EB-5 Program Benefits
  • Quality of Life: the United States ranks 13th globally in the Economist Intelligence Unit's Quality of Life Index.  Ahead of Canada, Japan, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom
  • Access to American universities and education system: the United States ranks 4th on the United Nations Education Index and boasts 8 of the Top 10 universities in the world according to both U.S. and British international publications
  • Personal Freedom: the United States ranks 7th in the world according to the Human Freedom Index
  • Economic Opportunity: amongst the world's largest economy, the United States ranks among the top dozen economically free countries according to the Heritage Foundation with rankings in the highest bracket for business, labor, and trade freedom as well as enforcement of property rights
  • Environmental Quality: the United States ranks 8th in the world in air quality
  • Cost of Living: the United States ranks outside of the Top 25 most expensive countries by Consumer Price Index - more affordable than many developed nations such as Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, South Korea, Japan and Canada 

Why use a Regional Center?

An individual making a direct investment can only count “direct” jobs.   Direct jobs are generally those full-time jobs held by employees of the new commercial enterprise.  Furthermore, direct jobs associated with construction activity qualify only if they last for at least two years.  Projects sponsored by a Regional Center can count “indirect” and “induced” jobs in addition to “direct” jobs created.   

Indirect jobs are those held by persons who are not employees of the new commercial enterprise but are created as a result of the project.  Instead, they are those individuals who work for those who provide goods or services to the project and can include construction jobs even if the activity lasts less than two years.  Unlike direct jobs, which must generally be created in the geographic region surrounding the project, indirect jobs can be created anywhere a person supplies the project goods or services.  Induced jobs are created when workers spend part of their increased compensation on consumer goods and services.  

A Regional Center is not merely a defined geographic area but rather is a business entity that coordinates foreign investment within that area in compliance with the EB-5 statutory, regulatory and precedent decision framework.  As a sponsoring Regional Center, EB5 of Ohio, LLC, will work with each investor to provide the desired access to investment and immigration professionals that will best facilitate obtaining a green card.