Of the various types of employment-based permanent resident visas, the employment-based fifth preference visa (EB-5) is available to foreign investors who wish to make a capital investment in a commercial enterprise and obtain permanent residence in the United States. The amount of the investment must be at least $1,050,000 dollars, unless the investment is to be in a targeted employment area, in which case the investment need only be $800,000 dollars. In all cases, the investment must also create full-time employment for at least 10 U.S. citizens or other legal residents, not including the investor or members of the investor’s family.

 

The EB-5 Regional Center Investment Program enables foreign investors to qualify for permanent residence in the U.S. by investing $800,000 in a federally designated "regional center" or FDRC, designed to stimulate local troubled economies - these are areas of high unemployment or rural (lesser populated) areas. In addition to the $800,000 investment, the investor must pay participation fees, legal, and government filing fees.