The EB-5 industry is currently experiencing a spike in demand for rural EB-5 projects—with many EB-5 firms now focusing on this project category. This trend follows the introduction of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (the RIA), which grants several new immigration benefits to EB-5 investors in rural projects.
These benefits are driving many EB-5 investors—particularly Chinese and Indian nationals—to choose rural EB-5 projects. Perhaps most notably, under the RIA, investors in rural projects can potentially get their physical U.S. Green Cards in only a matter of months.
In response to this demand, EB5AN will continue to focus on structuring high-quality rural projects. We want as many EB-5 investors as possible to benefit from these unique benefits.
We are proud to offer financially secure rural projects that enable EB-5 investors to get their Green Cards faster—without having to invest in a high-risk project that endangers their funds.
Since the RIA was signed into law, we have onboarded hundreds of EB-5 investors in our rural EB-5 projects.
Based on publicly available information and feedback from leading immigration attorneys, this makes EB5AN the most popular EB-5 firm for rural EB-5 investment. In other words, EB5AN is leading the industry in creating institutional-quality rural projects that safeguard our investors’ interests.
In this post, we discuss EB5AN’s industry-leading track record of creating successful rural projects under the RIA.
First, we provide an overview of the benefits of investing in a rural EB-5 project.
Why Are So Many EB-5 Investors Choosing Rural Projects?
- Priority Processing
- Set-Aside Visas: Chinese and Indian Nationals Can Avoid Long Delays
- Obtain Work and Travel Documents in Only Weeks
Investors in Rural Projects Trust EB5AN More Than Any Other EB-5 Firm
Learn More About Our Rural EB-5 Projects
Why Are So Many EB-5 Investors Choosing Rural Projects?
Under the RIA, investors in rural EB-5 projects qualify for several benefits that are unprecedented in the EB-5 program.
As we will see below, rural projects can enable investors to receive their U.S. Green Cards months—or even several years—earlier. In some cases, investors may even be able to secure work and travel documents in a matter of weeks.
Priority Processing
Under the RIA, EB-5 investors who choose rural projects qualify for priority processing of their United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) petitions.
When the RIA was signed into law in March 2022, it was initially unclear how much faster processing would be for investors in rural projects when compared to urban projects.
With multiple I-526E approvals for investors in both rural and urban projects under the RIA, we now have a reliable body of data to compare both project types. And for rural projects, the numbers are promising: It is already the standard across the EB-5 industry for investors in rural projects to receive their I-526E approvals in approximately 12 months—or less.
For example, one investor in a rural EB5AN project received their I-526E approval in only 8.3 months.
You may be wondering how this timeline compares to that of urban projects. So, just how much faster could an EB-5 investor get their I-526E approval—and, soon after, their U.S. Green Card—by investing in a rural project instead of an urban project?
Note the recent I-526E processing data for EB5AN’s investors in rural and urban projects.
On average, investors in rural projects are receiving I-526E approvals in approximately half the time as investors in urban projects.
This data demonstrates that investing in an urban project could mean an additional wait time of about 9.7 months—or significantly longer.
These remarkably short wait times are only possible thanks to priority processing under the RIA.
Set-Aside Visas: Chinese and Indian Nationals Can Avoid Long Delays
Both China and India are currently experiencing a backlog of EB-5 visa applications, meaning that EB-5 investors from these countries typically have to wait for multiple months or years before receiving their Green Cards.
But the RIA offers a solution for Chinese and Indian nationals to avoid these long delays.
The RIA created new categories of set-aside EB-5 visas, each of which has a limited yearly supply. As a result, EB-5 investors can qualify for set-aside visas by choosing either rural or urban EB-5 projects.
Importantly, Chinese or Indian nationals who qualify for a set-aside visa will not be subject to additional delays caused by their country’s backlog. They can benefit from priority processing and potentially receive their physical U.S. Green Cards in a matter of months.
Still, the urban set-aside visa category receives only 10% of the yearly supply of EB-5 visas. And recent USCIS data shows that the urban set-aside category is close to becoming backlogged. If these visas become backlogged, Chinese and Indian nationals who invest in an urban project may experience wait times of several additional years.
In contrast, the rural set-aside visa category receives 20% of the annual supply of EB-5 visas and is unlikely to enter a long backlog.
For Chinese and Indian EB-5 investors—who should note that they will only qualify for priority processing if they qualify for a set-aside visa—the safest option is to invest in a rural EB-5 project.
The experiences of EB5AN’s investors reflect this quicker (and safer) timeline. After investing in one of EB5AN’s rural projects, two Chinese nationals recently received their U.S. Green Cards in only 10 and 14 months, respectively, while an Indian national received his Green Card in 16 months.
Obtain Work and Travel Documents in Only Weeks
The RIA also enables EB-5 investors who already live in the United States to receive work and travel documents in a matter of weeks. EB-5 investors can qualify for this option if they hold H-1B, F-1, E-2, T-1, or other similar non-immigrant visas.
Concurrently with their I-526E petitions, EB-5 investors can also file Form I-485, along with applications for an employment authorization document (EAD) and an advance parole (AP) travel permit.
An EAD allows EB-5 investors to work for any employer in the United States, without relying on sponsorship. This document offers a great opportunity for the many EB-5 investors who would like to pursue new career or academic opportunities without the limitations imposed by their non-immigrant visas. For instance, H-1B workers may have to leave the United States in a matter of weeks if they are laid off and unable to find another sponsor.
An AP travel document, meanwhile, allows investors to travel internationally in and out of the United States. This means investors can return home to visit family or travel overseas to go on vacation.
In sum, holding an EAD and an AP allows investors to live, work, and travel internationally with few restrictions—even before they receive their U.S. Green Cards. They will be able to reside in the United States regardless of the requirements of their previous non-immigrant visas.
Many EB-5 investors have received their EADs and APs in a matter of weeks after submitting their applications—one investor in an EB5AN-sponsored rural project even received an EAD and an AP in only 33 days.
Crucially, due to their countries’ visa backlogs, Chinese and Indian investors will only be eligible to apply for an EAD and an AP if they qualify for a set-aside visa. Therefore, the safest way for Chinese and Indian nationals to qualify for EADs and APs is to invest in a rural project.
Investors in Rural Projects Trust EB5AN More Than Any Other EB-5 Firm
When the RIA introduced the new incentives for investing in rural projects, EB5AN adjusted its focus accordingly. We believe that the benefits offered by the rural project category are unique, and we encourage EB-5 investors—especially Chinese and Indian nationals—to consider investing in a rural project.
At the same time, we recognize that the EB-5 industry has a pressing need for more low-risk rural projects. Located in areas with low populations, rural projects often have a smaller target market and can be more vulnerable to economic downturns.
EB-5 investors, though, shouldn’t have to put their funds at unnecessary risk to invest in a rural project. Rather, our goal is to create institution-quality rural projects that will safeguard our investors’ funds.
Under the RIA, EB5AN has built a strong history of creating successful rural projects, often outperforming other EB-5 companies.
EB5AN has reached the following milestones for its rural projects under the RIA:
- Structured more new rural EB-5 projects—and received more I-956F project approvals—than any other EB-5 company.
- Onboarded hundreds of investors in rural EB-5 projects.
- Multiple investors in EB5AN’s rural projects already hold their physical U.S. Green Cards.
- Multiple investors in EB5AN’s rural projects have received their I-526E approvals—in as little as 8.3 months.
- Multiple investors in EB5AN’s rural projects have received EADs and APs—in as little as 33 days.
- All of the EB-5 capital in our rural projects is in good standing, and each rural project is advancing toward completion.
Learn More About Our Rural EB-5 Projects
With multiple rural projects already sold out, EB5AN is pleased to offer two industry-leading investment opportunities: Twin Lakes Georgia and Snake River Sporting Club.
Both of these rural projects combine solid financials, an experienced development team, and multiple safety features for EB-5 investors. These safety features include an I-526E approval refund guaranty and a job creation guaranty.
As demand for rural EB-5 projects increases, we encourage EB-5 investors to learn more about this unique project category. For many EB-5 investors, investing in a rural project could mean obtaining U.S. Green Cards years earlier than otherwise possible—and even getting employment and travel documents in only a couple of weeks.
For more information on the new immigration benefits for rural EB-5 projects, schedule a free consultation with EB5AN.
