Investing in a rural EB-5 project is one of the fastest ways to get U.S. Green Cards for yourself and your family. Under the EB-5 program, investors who choose EB-5 projects in rural targeted employment areas (TEAs) gain exclusive benefits. These benefits include a reduced minimum investment amount and a faster immigration process.
By investing $800,000 in a rural EB-5 project, you could obtain work and travel authorization in just days. Your initial EB5 Green Card could be approved in a matter of months. For those facing roadblocks to U.S. immigration, such as Indian and Chinese nationals, the benefits of making a rural EB-5 capital investment are especially significant.
Since the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA), more than 500 investors in EB5AN’s rural TEA projects have received I-526E approval. Recently, nearly all of those I-526E approvals have been received in less than one year, with some processed in as few as five months.
Rural TEA EB-5 Project Benefits
500+ Rural TEA I-526E Approvals
Learn More About Available Rural TEA EB-5 Investments
Rural TEA EB-5 Project Benefits
Lower Investment Amount
By investing in a rural targeted employment area project, you qualify for the EB5 rural minimum investment amount of $800,000. The standard minimum investment amount is $1,050,000.
Priority Rural Petition Processing
While the application process for rural EB-5 investors is the same as for urban investors, the way the application is handled is different. By investing in a rural EB-5 project, you qualify for priority processing of your Form I-526E. With priority processing, your Form I-526E may be adjudicated in a matter of months, not years. This means you could get your U.S. Green Cards months or years faster than otherwise.
Rural Set-Aside Visa Category
Under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA), new categories of EB-5 visas were created for investments in TEAs. The EB-5 rural visa category makes up 20% of all EB-5 visas, while the EB-5 urban visa category makes up only 10% of all EB-5 visas. Unlike the standard EB-5 visa, these set-aside visas are current and not subject to any backlogs.
For investors from countries with EB-5 visa backlogs, set-aside EB-5 visas help them avoid long delays. Eventually, these set-aside visa categories could face backlogs, too.
As of August 2025, Chinese and Indian nationals face backlogs of pending visa applications for unreserved EB-5 visas. These backlogs mean that EB-5 investors from these countries often have to wait years longer to immigrate through the EB-5 program. With the set-aside EB-5 visa categories, however, no backlogs have been announced.
500+ Rural TEA I-526E Approvals
Achieving over 500 rural TEA Form I-526E approvals is a significant accomplishment. This milestone not only reflects EB5AN’s compliance with EB-5 regulations but also underscores the importance of investing in a rural targeted employment area (TEA) project with priority processing.
One of the most notable achievements is the reduction in processing times for the I-526E petitions associated with rural TEA investments. Nearly all recent rural TEA approvals for investors in EB5AN’s projects were received in less than one year, a substantial improvement over historical averages, which have often extended beyond a year. Some petitions have been processed in as few as five months.
Learn More About Available Rural TEA EB-5 Investments
To learn more about the EB-5 immigration process and how a rural TEA EB-5 investment can offer your family an expedited path to U.S. immigration, schedule a free consultation with EB5AN.
