What EB-5 actually buys, and what it costs beyond money
EB-5 trades qualifying capital, invested in a job-creating US enterprise, for a conditional green card and, after the I-829 stage, permanent residence. The 2022 RIA rebuilt the rails: integrity rules, regional-center oversight, and the TEA lane at a reduced threshold. The figures are public on the USCIS page; our capture note above explains why this guide points rather than prints. What no page negotiates: the SIDE EFFECTS. A green card makes you a US tax resident (worldwide filing), plants the residence questions of our N-400 and exit-tax adjacent guides, and replaces the snowbird's freedom with residence obligations.
Typical range: beyond the investment itself, professional costs (immigration counsel, securities review, regional-center fees) commonly run well into five figures USD across the file's life, June 2026 reading of how the trade publicly prices; timelines run in years, not seasons.
Opinion: read EB-5 next to the alternative uses of the same capital: a Florida home bought outright plus decades of visitor winters often beats the same money locked in a project for a card whose tax shadow you may not want.
Who this is NOT for
The snowbird happy with six-month winters (the visitor file costs nothing); the investor wanting a BUSINESS VISA rather than residence (E-2 territory, different chapter); anyone allergic to lifelong worldwide US taxation.
The frame, level by level
| Aspect | Federal US | Federal CA | State (FL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The program | USCIS under the RIA 2022 (thresholds on the USCIS page of the day) | No role | No state immigration lane; Florida projects participate like any other |
| Tax consequence | Green card = US tax residence | Departure-tax and residence questions at home | No state income tax |
| Advice perimeter | Securities AND immigration counsel | Cross-border tax counsel | Not applicable |
A worked example: reading a project file, 2026
Marc, 58, is pitched a regional-center project. His diligence frame: the USCIS page of the day for thresholds and program status; the project's securities documents with HIS OWN counsel (not the promoter's); the TEA claim verified, not assumed; the job-creation math stress-tested; and the exit math in CAD: at the Bank of Canada rate of 1.3930 published June 10, 2026, every 100,000 USD of committed capital is roughly 139,300 CAD locked for years (Typical range: multi-year locks are the design, June 2026 reading). His conclusion fits the page's opinion: the card was buyable; the life that came with it was the real price.
Common mistakes
- Taking thresholds from blogs. The USCIS page of the day binds; our capture note models the discipline.
- Using the promoter's lawyer. Your counsel, your side of the table.
- Ignoring the tax shadow. The green card's worldwide-filing life arrives with the card.
- Confusing E-2 and EB-5. Treaty business visa vs permanent residence: different tools.
- Underwriting the project on immigration hope. It must stand as an INVESTMENT first.
The diligence checklist
- Read the USCIS EB-5 page of the day (thresholds, status).
- Retain independent immigration AND securities counsel.
- Verify the TEA claim and the job-creation model.
- Price the tax-residence consequence with a cross-border accountant.
- Compare against non-immigration uses of the same capital.
Frequently asked questions
How much must I invest?
The current thresholds (TEA vs standard) live on the USCIS page consulted the day you ask; our June 11, 2026 capture could not render the figures, and this guide prints none from memory.
Does buying a Florida house qualify?
No: passive real estate is not the program; qualifying job-creating investment is.
EB-5 or E-2?
Permanence vs renewable treaty status: the chapter's investor pages map the fork.
Is this advice?
No: education with named perimeter; EB-5 decisions belong with licensed counsel on both borders.