ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY American Bazaar Online · May 9, 2026 Author article: “Indian families spend millions pursuing stability in US as H-1B costs rise” The original interview ran in American Bazaar Online. Direct quotations from Jenny Zhan are reproduced verbatim below; editorial framing and questions have been adapted from the original publication.
The introduction of a $100,000 H-1B visa fee, combined with EB-2 green card backlogs that now stretch beyond two decades for Indian-born applicants, is forcing a generation of Silicon Valley tech professionals to rethink how they secure their families' future in the United States. Increasingly, the answer is EB-5.
Beyond International Group CEO Jenny Zhan spoke with American Bazaar Online in a wide-ranging interview about the shift from employer-sponsored visas toward investment-based residency. Below, we reproduce her responses in full, with the editorial framing adapted for the Beyond EB5 platform. The complete original article is available at American Bazaar.
Context: Jenny Zhan is Founder and CEO of Beyond International Group, a Houston-based alternative investment firm focused on private credit tied to real estate assets. Under her leadership, the firm has grown to manage 13 funds and earned recognition on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies. Beyond International Group has guided more than 1,200 families to U.S. residency through the EB-5 immigration investment program. For a deeper market view on the same trend Jenny discusses below, see our 2026 EB-5 outlook for Indian investors.
The Interview — Excerpts from American Bazaar Online
The four exchanges below reproduce Jenny Zhan's responses verbatim. Editorial framing of each question has been adapted from the original article for this format.
On the $100,000 H-1B Fee and Its Impact on Silicon Valley
American Bazaar asked Jenny how the new $100,000 H-1B fee is reshaping immigration choices for Indian tech professionals in Silicon Valley.
Jenny Zhan: “As someone who has spent years advising Indian tech professionals on U.S. immigration strategy, I can say that the introduction of the $100,000 H-1B fee has truly reshaped the landscape. Many impacted are viewing this as a pivotal moment—a wakeup call—that is pushing them to reconsider their long-term immigration strategy.”
“As a result of the increased H-1B fees and the EB-2 backlog that is stretching 20 plus years, we are seeing a shift toward alternative options that offer greater stability, such as the EB-5 investor visa. This is especially important for families with young children born in the U.S., who are seeking security and permanence.”
“We are currently advising Indian clients to take proactive steps to manage their legal status, considering not just the cost but the future implications for their families and careers.”
On EB-5 as a Family Investment Strategy
American Bazaar asked whether Indian families are now viewing EB-5 as a family investment strategy rather than purely an immigration pathway.
Jenny Zhan: “We are seeing more families pooling their money to apply for an EB-5 visa, which requires $800,000 to $1 million in investment in a USCIS approved project to stabilize their status and depend less on their employers.”
“When evaluating an EB-5 project, many investors lose sight of the ‘big picture’ and begin to treat funding a project like a traditional private equity investment. We have helped more than 1,200 families achieve U.S. residency through the EB-5 immigration investment program and work closely with them, so they don’t lose sight of the end goal: to secure a Green Card.”
“We remind them that in the world of EB-5, your ‘true return’ isn’t a percentage point; it’s your U.S. Green Card. We counsel them to look at it as an immigration pathway first instead of an investment strategy.”
“The good thing is that eventually, they will get their investment back and they can then redeploy the capital into a different type of investment strategy that can yield a return focused on maximizing profits.”
On How Indian Applicants Are Funding the Investment
American Bazaar asked how Indian applicants are funding these large EB-5 investments amid rising immigration costs.
Jenny Zhan: “Indian applicants are funding their EB-5 investments in different ways. They are pooling money from family members, receiving loans from uncles and parents, tapping their savings from their high-paying tech jobs or taking money from their 401Ks or other investments.”
“Additionally, the source of these funds needs to be documented extremely well by the applicant and their attorney. The U.S. government will review and do a thorough due diligence to ensure the investment money is coming from legitimate sources.”
On What the H-1B-to-EB-5 Shift Means for Silicon Valley
American Bazaar asked whether the growing shift from H-1B to EB-5 could change the relationship between Silicon Valley startups and immigrant talent.
Jenny Zhan: “The shift from H-1B visa to EB-5 provides immigrant talent the freedom to find job opportunities that are not tied to a specific employer. It allows them, once they receive their EB-5 work permit and then their Green Card, to pursue their own dreams and start their own businesses if they wish.”
“The H-1B visa is a temporary worker visa that is a solid step to stablishing roots in the U.S. It allows immigrant talent the ability to accumulate wealth to fund an EB-5 investment, gain tech experience, learn the U.S. work environment and brainstorm potential startup ideas — look for funding — if that is the route they want to take.”
“In my personal view, pursing an EB-5 visa that helps secure a Green Card is the natural step after being in the country under an H-1B visa.”
Why This Conversation Matters Now
The H-1B-to-EB-5 conversation is no longer theoretical for Indian families in the United States. Two structural realities are forcing the decision:
The $100,000 H-1B fee materially changes the cost-benefit math for sponsoring employers, particularly for renewals and new hires — introducing real employment uncertainty for thousands of Indian professionals.
The EB-2 backlog for Indian-born applicants continues to stretch beyond two decades. For a parent of U.S.-born children, that timeline doesn’t align with any reasonable life plan.
The September 30, 2026 EB-5 grandfathering deadline adds urgency. Any I-526E petition properly filed on or before that date receives grandfathering protection — keeping the case valid even if the EB-5 Regional Center Program is modified after that date.
For Indian families in the H-1B-to-EB-5 transition, the rural reserved visa category currently offers a particularly compelling pathway: it remains current for all nationalities, including India, with no visa backlog and access to USCIS priority processing. Beyond's own Beyond Paradise 1 on Hawaii Island is one example of a rural, I-956F-approved EB-5 project structured for this filing window.
Beyond International Group serves as fiduciary NCE Manager for its EB-5 investors, backed by an institutional investment platform with $650M+ in AUM — applying the same rigor to immigration investment that we apply to every fund we manage.
If you are an H-1B professional or a family weighing the EB-5 pathway and want to understand what the right next step looks like for your situation, we would welcome the conversation.