20% of EB-5 visas reserved for **Rural TEA**, 10% for **Urban High-Unemployment TEA**, 2% for **Infrastructure** projects. Most major-backlog countries (India, China) are still **current** on the rural set-aside.

Sustainment period cut to 2 years

post-RIA investors must keep capital at-risk for 2 years from NCE deployment — not the legacy 5-year hold. Repayment can theoretically begin much sooner.

I-956F project approval (new)

Regional Centers must now submit each project for USCIS pre-approval before raising EB-5 capital. Investor risk is materially reduced when filing into an I-956F-approved project.

mandatory annual audits, third-party fund administrators, banned bad actors, and stricter source-of-funds review.

$800K for TEA (rural or urban) projects; $1,050K for non-TEA. Numbers adjust for inflation every 5 years.

Concurrent filing allowed (in-US applicants)

I-526E + I-485 can be filed together for investors physically present in the US in valid status, unlocking EAD + AP within ~3-6 months.

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

TL;DR

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).

Signed into law in March 2022, the EB-5 Reform & Integrity Act is the most significant structural change to EB-5 since 1990. It reauthorised the Regional Center program (which had lapsed in mid-2021), introduced reserved visa set-asides for rural, urban high-unemployment, and infrastructure projects, and tightened oversight.

•Reserved set-asides: 20% of EB-5 visas reserved for Rural TEA, 10% for Urban High-Unemployment TEA, 2% for Infrastructure projects. Most major-backlog countries (India, China) are still current on the rural set-aside.
•Sustainment period cut to 2 years: post-RIA investors must keep capital at-risk for 2 years from NCE deployment — not the legacy 5-year hold. Repayment can theoretically begin much sooner.
•I-956F project approval (new): Regional Centers must now submit each project for USCIS pre-approval before raising EB-5 capital. Investor risk is materially reduced when filing into an I-956F-approved project.
•Integrity measures: mandatory annual audits, third-party fund administrators, banned bad actors, and stricter source-of-funds review.
•Investment minimums: $800K for TEA (rural or urban) projects; $1,050K for non-TEA. Numbers adjust for inflation every 5 years.
•Concurrent filing allowed (in-US applicants): I-526E + I-485 can be filed together for investors physically present in the US in valid status, unlocking EAD + AP within ~3-6 months.

RIA is the structural shift that made Rural TEA — and Beyond Paradise 1 — possible. Every project structural protection we describe (I-956F, 2-year sustainment, concurrent filing) traces back to this law.

How Beyond handles this

Beyond Paradise 1 was structured from day one under RIA — I-956F approval already in hand, Rural TEA designation, 2-year sustainment-aligned 3+1+1 loan term, and integrity-measure compliance (fund administrator, annual audits).

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