--- title: The EB-5 Investor Visa Program is More Popular Than Ever description: What is the EB-5 Investor Visa and why has it recently become such a popular way for foreign nationals to get a green card? --- [![Envoy Global company logo](https://info.envoyglobal.com/hs-fs/hubfs/eg_logo%20_2000.png?width=2000&height=218&name=eg_logo%20_2000.png "Envoy Global company logo")](https://www.envoyglobal.com/) # 2015 Old Blog # The EB-5 Investor Visa Program is More Popular Than Ever Posted by [admin](https://info.envoyglobal.com/blog-old-test/author/admin) on Aug 22, 2013 12:15:07 PM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) The EB-5 Investor Visa is one of the lesser-known avenues to citizenship in the U.S., but demand for them among foreign national investors is skyrocketing. Since the program began over 20 years ago, over 29,000 EB-5 investor visas have been issued to foreign national investors looking to move the United States. Since its inception, the EB-5 program has generated approximately $6.8 billion in foreign investments in American companies and created at least 50,000 American jobs. Most of the success of the EB-5 has been very recent: 75% of all EB-5 visas have been issued since 2008 thanks to the U.S. economic downtown and the resulting loss of capital among American investors. USCIS has recently increased their staff for the EB-5 program from 10 to 50 employees. One of the biggest beneficiaries of the EB-5 investor visa program has been the U.S. hotel industry, as many foreign investors see hotels as a "safe investment that works well in a variety of regions in the United States. ## **What Are the EB-5 Investor Visas Requirements?** The EB-5 investor visa is a special type of employment-based green card available to foreign nationals who can invest either $500,000 or $1,000,000 of their own money (not a loan) to start a new business that creates at least 10 jobs in the United States. The $500,000 investment (by far the most common) requires the EB-5 investor to certify to USCIS they are building a business in a designated "target area - an area of high unemployment or a rural area in need of business development. Another common scenario is multiple investors pooling their money into a multi-million dollar investment. Unlike other employment-based green cards like the EB-2 and EB-3, EB-5 investors petition themselves and do not need an employer sponsorship. Like all legal permanent residents, EB-5 green card recipients must remain in the US for more than 6 months each year, or they risk jeopardizing their permanent residence status. They are subjects to all the same restrictions and qualifications as other green card recipients, and much more. Without a doubt, the EB-5 application process requires a great deal of patience and legal expertise. All potential EB-5 investor visa applicants must submit a mountain of personal and financial information to USCIS in order to get their case approved. Extensive research and knowledge of U.S. immigration law, employment law, and the EB-5 program in particular are key for processing any successful case. ## **How Many EB-5 Investor Visas Are Issued Each Year?** The EB-5 Visa is open to all nationalities, with no more than 10,000 EB-5 green cards issued per year. This number includes EB-5 spouses and dependents. No more than 7% of all EB-5 investor visas can be issued to one single nationality unless the cap has not been reached. Up until recently, USCIS never came close to issuing the 10,000 EB-5 visa limit. The 2013 fiscal year cap has not yet been reached, but it is expected to come very close to 10,000. Looking at the accelerated growth of the EB-5 investor visa program over the last 5 years, there is little doubt the program will cap out early in the 2014 fiscal year, much like the [H-1B visa program.](https://info.envoyglobal.com/h1b-cap-201) ## **International Competitors to the EB-5 Investor Visa program** The EB-5 Investor Visa program owes a great deal of its success to wealthy Chinese immigrants looking to grow their business in a more open, safe, business-friendly environment. Countries around the world have begun to compete for wealthy Chinese immigrants to settle permanently and [develop failing Western economies](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324809004578636962203195522.html). Southern European countries that have recently suffered extreme economic hardship like Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, and even Spain have developed programs that reward immigrants with permanent residence or long-term visas in exchange for real estate investment. In May, Australia issued its first "significant investor visa to a wealthy Chinese immigrant who had to invest at least $5 million to grow his business there. Caribbean nations [like St. Kitts](http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2013/04/18/the-hot-new-immigration-destinations-for-chinas-wealthy/) have extremely lax requirements for investment visas in the hopes of beating out bigger competitors like Canada, Australia, and the United States. ## **The Future of EB-5 Visas in the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill** The EB-5 Investor Visa program has been praised by right-leaning and pro-business groups for its benefits to the U.S. economy and job creation. It's an easy "win for both Democrats and Republicans to support the program, and the Senate's 2013 immigration reform bill expands the EB-5 program quite a bit. Two major changes to the program outlined in the Senate bill are 1) spouses and children (minor dependents) will no longer count towards the 10,000 visa cap, and 2) per-country quotas will be eliminated, ostensibly to benefit Chinese investors. *If you have more questions about EB-5 visas or how to secure one with an investment, please [contact us](https://info.envoyglobal.com/contact-us) for more information. * Topics: [Work-Based Visas](https://info.envoyglobal.com/blog-old-test/topic/visas-for-businesses), [Immigration Blog](https://info.envoyglobal.com/blog-old-test/topic/immigration-blog) ## Something Powerful ### Tell The Reader More The headline and subheader tells us what you're [offering](https://info.envoyglobal.com/blog-old-test/immigration-blog/eb-5-investor-visa/#), and the form header closes the deal. Over here you can explain why your offer is so great it's worth filling out a form for. 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