Like the 2,700+ families who have chosen to make EB-5 investments with EB5AN, you look forward to becoming a permanent resident of the United States. A U.S. Green Card will open up career and academic opportunities for yourself and your family that simply can’t be found anywhere outside the United States.
At the same time, you are also probably giving thought to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requirements for an EB-5 Green Card and how to protect your invested funds. After all, you don’t only want to obtain U.S. Green Cards for yourself and your family—you also want to recover your $800,000 investment.
While EB-5 is a comparatively straightforward path to a Green Card, any successful EB-5 investor will tell you that it requires extensive research. From selecting an immigration attorney to filing your I-526E petition to deciding on a regional center to work with, each choice you make during the EB-5 process will have a lasting impact on both your immigration goals and your financial outcome.
EB5AN’s goal is simple: to empower EB-5 investors to make informed decisions by helping them acquire a solid understanding of how EB-5 immigration works, the financial risks involved, and the criteria for selecting a low-risk EB-5 project.
We provide a wealth of free resources to guide EB-5 investors on their journey. These materials—which include everything from detailed timelines for the EB-5 process to in-depth breakdowns of industry trends—do not encourage investors to invest after only a brief glance at an EB-5 project’s information. Instead, we help EB-5 investors ask the right questions and gain a complete picture of every project’s financial situation and potential for success.
And while prospective EB-5 investors can gain much useful knowledge by doing their research independently, we realize that they can quickly learn about the program and its requirements by listening to fellow investors who have already begun the EB-5 process.
To that end, we launched a groundbreaking series of interviews with successful EB-5 investors across EB5AN’s various projects. To our knowledge, we were one of the first regional centers—if not the first—to regularly publish interviews with its EB-5 investors.
Far from being mere testimonials for EB5AN, these interviews go deep into the EB-5 process at each stage, spanning from the initial research of immigration options and filing the I-526E petition with an attorney to selecting a regional center and deciding between the many EB-5 projects on the market.
Each interviewee provides actionable insights and advice on making an EB-5 investment that will succeed both financially and from an immigration standpoint.
Additionally, our interviews feature investors from all over the world, including the largest EB-5 markets: China and India. Other countries include Canada, Germany, Argentina, Turkey, and the Philippines.
Many of our recent investors are Chinese and Indian nationals who already held U.S. visas such as H-1Bs but were looking for the certainty and permanence of a U.S. Green Card. In their interviews, they share their strategies for obtaining I-526E approvals (often in only months) and even work and travel permits in a matter of weeks.
As part of their testimonials, our investors also explain why, after careful research, they chose to work with EB5AN. You’ll notice that investors consistently cite our transparency and communicativeness, both of which reflect our core commitment to helping each investor succeed.
For this post, we’ve compiled highlights from several recent interviews with our investors. Each one explains why they made an EB-5 investment and their strategy for choosing their regional centers and projects.
We invite you to study these highlights or go deeper into our library of over 30 EB-5 investor interviews. There is no better way to prepare for making an informed investment decision than to learn from successful EB-5 applicants.
It is our hope that these highlights can help you quickly understand the basics of the EB-5 program and get started on the path to U.S. Green Cards.
Trading my H-1B for an EB-5 Green Card: Prakash from India (Rocky River Rural EB-5 Project)
Escaping Long Wait Times for an EB-2 Green Card: Anoop From India (Rocky River Rural EB-5 Project)
How I Got High Returns, Employment Authorization, and a Travel Permit from My EB-5 Investment: Ravi From India (Saltaire St. Petersburg Urban EB-5 Project)
Securing My Son’s Future in the U.S. Through EB-5: Mike from Canada (ONE Tampa Urban EB-5 Project)
Getting Started on the EB-5 Process
Trading My H-1B for an EB-5 Green Card: Prakash From India (Rocky River Rural EB-5 Project)
Key Quotes From Prakash’s Interview:
- “EB-5 was the only other option that I could think of which has the current status for Indians as well in the rural and urban TEA. So that became very attractive.”
- “There is very little red tape with the EB5AN to get all the information about the project or the offering materials and then the subscription documents and all that. So the transparency was great.”
- “I was looking for something with a low risk and higher probability to get the EAD and the AP. So with all the news that you see with the new administration, all the things that are happening created some sense of urgency in me to get this EAD and AP … The Rocky River project is of a lower risk and it’s also current for India.”
Prakash, originally from the Bangalore area in southern India, had been living in the United States for eight years when he made the decision to pursue permanent residency.
Holding first an L-1 and then an H-1B visa, and with his wife and U.S.-born daughter also navigating a complex visa landscape, Prakash began searching for a more secure, long-term solution.
His EB-2 priority date from mid-2018 meant that the Green Card process was subject to frustrating delays and deep uncertainty. This sense of instability motivated him to explore alternatives—and eventually led him to the EB-5 program.
After evaluating other visa paths such as the EB-1C—which would have required him to relocate his family abroad temporarily—Prakash found the EB-5 route to be the most straightforward and practical. Not only did it offer a clearer path to permanent residency, but it also promised shorter wait times for Indian nationals, particularly when investing in rural projects.
Prakash began evaluating potential EB-5 projects. While exploring several options through EB5AN, he gravitated toward single-family housing because of its relatively low-risk structure. The materials on EB5AN’s platform were thorough and easy to access, and he appreciated the transparency and lack of sales pressure throughout the process.
Ultimately, he selected EB5AN’s Rocky River project, an offering focused on building single-family homes for adults aged 55 and older. The project’s phased construction model, which allows houses to be built and sold incrementally, appealed to him as a practical and resilient investment structure. The demographic target also inspired confidence, as older homebuyers tend to have more stable financial resources. A similar, successful EB5AN project—the Twin Lakes community in Georgia—reinforced his decision.
Equally important was the project’s rural TEA designation. While urban TEAs may have been current for Indian investors when he was exploring projects, Prakash feared future backlogs for the urban category. Conversely, rural projects offer faster I-526E adjudication times while boasting twice the available amount of visas compared to urban projects. EB5AN’s webinars and projections supported this assessment and helped tip the scales in favor of Rocky River.
Next, EB5AN’s team ensured that the fund transfer process was explained in detail, providing guidance at every step.
Looking back, Prakash has clear advice for fellow H-1B visa holders, especially Indians: Begin the process early, choose a capable attorney without delay, and maintain clean, well-organized financial records for the I-526E filing.
When selecting a project, he urges investors to consider both the track record of the regional center and the business logic of the project itself. For him, the Rocky River Project made sense not only financially but also strategically, and EB5AN’s transparency throughout gave him confidence in the process.
Now well on his way to permanent residency, Prakash feels secure in his investment and optimistic about his family’s future in the United States.
Escaping Long Wait Times for an EB-2 Green Card: Anoop From India (Rocky River Rural EB-5 Project)
Key Quotes From Anoop’s Interview:
- “EB5AN’s website had details and specifics about projects and construction updates about projects. In other regional centers, I never saw those kind of monthly updates or quarterly project status reports directly available.”
- “I wanted a rural project and I wanted something where I was sure that my funds will be utilized immediately and I can claim the jobs. I wanted the most surety as possible. Therefore, Rocky River looked really attractive to me because it was pretty early stage.”
- “The pending applications for the urban were twice as many to the rural one, even though rural had 20% set aside and everyone was expecting urban to get into a backlog situation pretty soon. So within a year or so, they were expecting urban to get into a backlog situation, especially for India and China. That pushed me to say, ‘Okay, rural and nothing else.’”
Anoop, originally from Bangalore, India, began his professional life in the tech sector before relocating to San Jose, California, in 2015 on an L-1B visa.
Accompanied by his wife and young son, Anoop expected a straightforward path to permanent residency via the EB-2 Green Card route. At the time, priority dates suggested a manageable wait. But over the years, as visa backlogs worsened and priority dates stalled and regressed, he came to a sobering realization: The EB-2 queue might leave his family in limbo for over a decade.
After transitioning to an H-1B visa in 2018 and securing an I-140 approval, Anoop carefully explored other options.
He briefly considered the EB-1 category but found the eligibility criteria too stringent given the time it would take to build a qualifying case.
In 2024, he turned his attention to the EB-5 program. The appeal was clear: a direct route to a U.S. Green Card with a timeline and structure more within his control.
When choosing a regional center, Anoop evaluated several, but EB5AN quickly distinguished itself with its transparency and breadth of offerings. He appreciated their detailed public project updates, construction timelines, and willingness to discuss technical elements such as job creation methodology and project risk.
Unlike other centers offering only a single deal, EB5AN had multiple ongoing rural and urban projects—providing Anoop with the flexibility to choose based on visa availability and project fit.
Ultimately, he selected EB5AN’s Rocky River project. The rural TEA designation was a key factor. With 20% of EB-5 visas set aside for rural projects, Anoop saw Rocky River as the best chance to keep his priority date current. The project was still in its early stages, meaning his investment would be deployed promptly, boosting the likelihood of meeting job creation thresholds in a timely manner.
Anoop also found confidence in the project’s developer, Kolter, which had a strong record of delivering EB-5 projects without financial issues.
Having some prior knowledge of residential real estate himself, Anoop preferred this sector to more speculative hospitality ventures. Conversations with past EB5AN investors further validated his choice.
The subscription process was smooth. EB5AN’s team was responsive and professional, walking Anoop through each step.
Reflecting on his journey, Anoop emphasizes that EB-5 is not a shortcut—it requires careful planning, patience, and the right partners. But for him, it offered a reliable path out of the EB-2 backlog.
He credits EB5AN for making the process transparent and manageable.
For those considering EB-5, his advice is clear: Choose experienced professionals, understand the timeline, and be ready for a long-term commitment.
How I Got High Returns, Employment Authorization, and a Travel Permit From My EB-5 Investment: Ravi From India (Saltaire St. Petersburg Urban EB-5 Project)
Key Quotes From Ravi’s Interview:
- “EB-5 investment is one of the best investments I have done in my life, as I mentioned. And it’s definitely worth it. Because as I mentioned, getting an EAD and advanced parole is a great deal for me, because as a H-1B, choosing jobs and maintaining that job in a particular state at a particular place is very important.”
- “Exactly at the end of the three years, the project was successfully almost completed, and all the flats were sold—completely sold—and I was provided with the investment return of $95,000. When I invested, getting a $95,000 within a span of three years of the project start is a very good investment.”
- “I went to other countries and everything, but getting advanced parole is so comfortable and convenient that I can just show my document and come back. Getting an advanced parole made my life so much smoother. I can plan anything right now at any point of time, visiting the loved ones back in India whenever I want to.”
Ravi’s decision to invest in the EB-5 program marked a pivotal shift in both his professional and personal life.
Originally from India, Ravi came to the United States in 2013 to pursue his master’s degree. Initially unsure about settling in the country, he found himself increasingly tied to the U.S. after transitioning to an H-1B visa in 2015. Yet the visa’s rigid structure, long Green Card wait times under EB-2, and frequent job-related relocations made long-term stability difficult.
These challenges ultimately motivated him to seek a better path to permanent residency—one that would also afford him financial returns and more control over his life. That path turned out to be the EB-5 program.
Determined to secure both immigration and investment benefits, Ravi began researching regional centers and projects, focusing on their credibility, transparency, and track record. His search led him to EB5AN, a regional center operator known for its strong industry presence and responsiveness.
What solidified his choice was the quality of information EB5AN provided—including their listing on the USCIS website—and their willingness to walk him through the complexities of the process. Ravi was particularly drawn to the Saltaire St. Petersburg project, a luxury condo development in Florida by Kolter, a developer with a history of successful EB-5 completions.
Saltaire’s strong fundamentals set it apart from other projects Ravi had considered. Offering a projected 6% equity return—one of the highest he found at the time—the project also stood on solid ground from a development and compliance standpoint.
Wanting to verify its viability himself, Ravi visited the site while it was still a parking lot and conducted extensive due diligence.
His confidence only grew as EB5AN delivered regular updates on the project’s progress, complete with photos, reports, and financial documentation—details missing from competing EB-5 projects.
In the end, Ravi’s decision to invest in the EB-5 program paid off in more ways than one. Three years after his investment, despite pandemic-related challenges, the project delivered a strong financial return of $95,000.
Further, Ravi received both an employment authorization document (EAD) and an advance parole (AP) travel document, which drastically improved his quality of life. With these benefits, he was no longer bound to a specific job or location and could travel internationally with ease—something especially valuable given the complications associated with H-1B stamping in India.
Securing My Son’s Future in the U.S. Through EB-5: Mike From Canada (ONE Tampa Urban EB-5 Project)
Key Quotes From Mike’s Interview:
- “I connected with Jordan and other members of [the EB5AN] team, and I got to tell you, everyone was on the same page in terms of responsiveness, in terms of goals, in terms of just getting us the proper data and coaching us through it, and I was really, really impressed.”
- “If you have the opportunity to meet [a potential immigration attorney] face to face, I am a strong believer that that’s probably your number one way to see if someone’s going to have your back and someone’s going to answer the phone when you need them.”
- “The ONE Tampa project, I like the fact that it was 47% sold at that point that I was evaluating … I just felt after evaluating it had the highest probability of getting built, getting done, and returning my investment.”
Mike turned to the EB-5 program as a means to secure a permanent future in the United States for his son, Alex, a university student at Emory.
Having lived, studied, and worked in the U.S. under a variety of non-immigrant visas, Mike was all too familiar with the limitations they imposed. EB-5 offered a cleaner, more reliable path—not just for residency, but for long-term freedom and flexibility in the United States. The goal was never just immigration—it was about opening a future without constraints for his son.
Mike approached the process with the rigor of a business professional. He began by carefully selecting an immigration attorney.
Initially, Mike worked with another regional center, but he grew uneasy due to their low level of communication and support. Eventually, he discovered EB5AN and was immediately impressed by their transparency, responsiveness, and professionalism. They answered every question promptly and thoroughly—a standard of service he had been searching for.
Once that relationship was in place, Mike focused on selecting the right EB-5 project. As a Canadian, he wasn’t constrained by country-specific visa backlogs, so he had the flexibility to choose between rural and urban projects.
Mike ultimately selected the ONE Tampa urban development project. His decision was grounded in careful review: Nearly half of the residential units had already been sold, demonstrating strong market demand.
Though he considered an in-person visit to the site, he found the conversations he had with the project managers so thorough and reassuring that it wasn’t necessary. The responsiveness of the team and the quality of information provided gave him confidence that the development would be completed on time and that his investment was in reliable hands.
Looking back, Mike emphasizes that the most critical decisions were selecting the right legal team and the right regional center. Those two partnerships made the complex EB-5 process manageable, even during a high-pressure timeline—he moved from decision to filing within 45 days, during the holiday season, no less. He credits that speed to the clear structure and commitment of the professionals supporting him.
For others considering the EB-5 route, Mike’s advice is simple: Do your homework, find people who will answer your questions without delay, and insist on clarity at every step. He believes that with the right team, the EB-5 process can be not only efficient but also very safe.
Today, Mike is optimistic—not only about the return of his investment in ONE Tampa, but also about watching his son thrive in the United States with full legal freedom.
Getting Started on the EB-5 Process
The insights shared by Prakash, Anoop, Ravi, and Mike demonstrate that careful research—selecting the right attorney, regional center, and project—can make the EB-5 path both secure and rewarding.
EB5AN’s dedication to transparency and comprehensive support gives investors the confidence to navigate USCIS requirements and protect their capital.
By learning from those who have already succeeded, you can chart a course that balances your family’s immigration goals with solid financial returns. We encourage you to delve into our full interview series and resource library as you begin your own EB-5 journey.
For personalized guidance on beginning the EB-5 process, schedule a free consultation with our expert team.
