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 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 700 investors in EB5AN’s 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 three months. The priority processing of rural I-526E petitions has played a major role in this outcome. Additionally, these projects have already created over 14,000 EB-5–eligible jobs. Because job creation is a central element of the Form I-829 petition, these investors are well positioned for smooth I-829 approval when it comes time to file.
This article explains the key benefits of investing in a rural TEA EB-5 project, highlights EB5AN’s track record of more than 700 I-526E approvals, and summarizes job creation across EB5AN’s portfolio of rural and urban EB-5 projects.
Rural TEA EB-5 Project Benefits
700+ I-526E Approvals
14,000+ EB-5 Jobs Created
Learn More About Available EB-5 Investments
Download the I-526E Approvals Timeline Slide
Rural TEA EB-5 Project Benefits
Lower Investment Amount
By investing in a rural targeted employment area project, you qualify for the EB-5 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%. 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 December 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.
700+ I-526E Approvals
Achieving over 700 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 three months.
For each EB5AN project filed since the RIA that has received I-526E approvals, the table below summarizes the number of approvals, the average approval time, and the fastest approval time. During this period, USCIS has approved substantially more rural petitions than urban petitions.
14,000+ EB-5 Jobs Created
The development of these projects has already produced over 14,000 EB-5–eligible jobs. This level of job creation supports the requirement for 1,147 investors across these projects, with additional job creation expected as construction continues.
The table below summarizes job creation by project. For projects still under construction, job creation is expected to continue as additional construction spending occurs.
Because job creation is a central element of the Form I-829 petition, these investors are well-positioned for smooth I-829 approval when it comes time to file.
Learn More About Available EB-5 Investments
To learn more about the EB-5 immigration process and how an EB-5 investment can offer your family a path to U.S. citizenship, schedule a free consultation with EB5AN.
