EB-5 Foundations

What EB-5 is, the 2022 Reform & Integrity Act, set-aside categories, and Regional Center vs Direct.

I-526E vs I-526: What changed under the Reform Act?

I-526E is the post-2022 petition for Regional Center investors after the EB-5 Reform & Integrity Act. I-526 is the legacy form for direct EB-5.

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Rural TEA vs Urban TEA vs Direct EB-5

Rural TEA = $800K + 20% visa set-aside + priority processing. Urban TEA = $800K + 10% set-aside. Direct EB-5 = $1.05M, no Regional Center.

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Regional Center vs Direct EB-5

Regional Center investors pool capital into pre-vetted projects ($800K). Direct EB-5 means you operate your own business and create 10 jobs yourself ($1.05M).

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What is the EB-5 Reform & Integrity Act (RIA) 2022?

The RIA reauthorised the Regional Center EB-5 program through 2027, created reserved-visa set-asides (20% rural, 10% urban TEA, 2% infrastructure), reduced the sustainment period from 5 to 2 years, and added integrity measures (audits, source-of-funds reviews, I-956F project approval).

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EB-5 vs Trump Gold Card: Which US Investor Path in 2026?

The Trump Gold Card is a proposed $5M residency program announced in 2025. As of 2026, the EB-5 program (with its $800K Rural TEA minimum, 2-year sustainment, and existing USCIS framework) remains the only fully operational US investor green card with predictable filing and approval pathways.

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Golden Visa USA: What's Real, What's Proposed in 2026

The US doesn't have a single "Golden Visa" program like Portugal or Greece. Instead, US residency-by-investment splits across EB-5 (operational, $800K rural), E-2 (treaty country, non-immigrant), L-1A → EB-1C (executive transfer), and the proposed Trump Gold Card ($5M, still being defined).

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US Investor Visa Comparison: EB-5 vs E-2 vs L-1A vs Gold Card

Each US investor-related visa solves a different problem: EB-5 = direct green card via $800K+ investment, E-2 = treaty-country non-immigrant, L-1A = intracompany executive transfer (path to EB-1C green card), Gold Card = proposed $5M premium pathway.

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EB-5 Investment Amount History: $500K → $800K → ?

EB-5's minimum investment has changed: $500K (original TEA, 1990-2019) → $900K (briefly in 2019-2021) → restored to $500K (court vacatur in 2021) → $800K (RIA 2022). The next inflation adjustment is scheduled for 2027.

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EB-5 vs E-2 Visa: Which Path to US Residency?

EB-5 = direct green card with $800K minimum, available from any country. E-2 = renewable non-immigrant visa, lower investment ($100K+), but treaty-country only (India and China are NOT eligible). For long-term US residency, EB-5 is the structural endpoint.

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EB-5 vs EB-1A vs EB-2 NIW: Employment-Based Alternatives

EB-1A = extraordinary ability (no investment, very high bar). EB-2 NIW = national interest waiver (advanced degree + national-interest case). EB-5 = $800K investment (no skill bar). Pick by what you have: extraordinary credentials, advanced-degree + national-interest case, or capital.

Other wiki categories

Process Money Diligence Family Country Timeline

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