My name is Vinodh Ram. I am from India, and I recently made an EB-5 investment in EB5AN’s Tamarack Resort rural EB-5 project. I spent a lot of time researching the EB-5 program, comparing options, and checking EB-5 projects in detail before I made a final investment decision.
But all of that hard work has paid off: I’m happy to say my Form I-526E was approved in about five months, and it happened with no RFEs. Now, I qualify for my initial U.S. Green Card, allowing me to live and work in the U.S. with the benefits of permanent residency.
If you’re thinking about pursuing an EB-5 visa or are already looking at projects, you’ll need a solid investment strategy. It’s important to take the time to really understand the EB-5 program and each project before committing your funds.
In this post, I’ll explain my approach to a successful EB-5 investment. You’ll learn how I went about each step of the process, from finding an attorney, to choosing projects.
These insights could help you be the next successful EB-5 investor and gain the freedoms of a U.S. Green Card—potentially in only months, not years.
Watch Vinodh Ram’s Full Interview
Watch Vinodh Ram’s Interview Highlights
Background
Finding an EB-5 Immigration Attorney
Why I Chose the Tamarack Rural EB-5 Project
My I-526E Approval in Only 5 Months: My Advice for Others
Background
Before relocating to the United States, I spent over 16 years in Singapore. I work in IT and I have been in this field for more than 20 years, so I have always been open to roles that involve leading major projects and relocating when the right opportunity comes up.
I had also visited the U.S. multiple times on a B-1 visa, representing previous employers. Those trips helped me understand the work environment and the day-to-day reality of spending time in the U.S., but they were still temporary visits.
In December 2024, I moved to the U.S. to manage a project for my employer, and I came on an L-1A visa. For me, this was not just a short assignment. I saw it as a real chance to settle in the U.S. with my family and build a stable long-term plan.
After I arrived, my employer sponsored an I-140 through EB-1C. The I-140 was filed in March 2025 and approved in April 2025, which was fast. But as an Indian national, I knew the real issue was the wait time after approval, because the priority date for India in those categories can be years behind.
When I looked at the situation clearly, the three-year wait time was the main problem. Over three years, many things can change—rules, timelines, job situations, and personal plans. I did not want my family’s future to depend on that long a delay, especially when the goal was permanent residence.
That is what pushed me to look for a faster Green Card path. I did not seriously consider other options because every other Green Card route I looked at had longer wait times.
The reason rural EB-5 projects stood out was this: the dates were current for a Green Card, and the process was designed to move faster under the set-aside category, with priority processing.
Finding an EB-5 Immigration Attorney
Once I decided to explore EB-5, I spent at least a couple of months doing my own research online. I wanted to understand the basics before I paid anyone or committed to a project. I learned how EB-5 works, the main requirements, and the different pathways: rural, urban, reserved categories, and unreserved categories.
During that same period, I consulted with a couple of attorneys. Some consultations were free, and some were fee-waived if I continued working with them. Those conversations helped me confirm what I was learning on my own and also helped me see differences in experience and communication style.
After speaking with multiple attorneys, I chose Murthy Law Firm. The main reason was their experience with EB-5. They had processed many EB-5 petitions successfully, and that track record mattered to me. They also shared reference candidates who had completed their EB-5 petitions through them successfully, and that gave me extra confidence that I was choosing the right law firm.
I also cared about how the firm communicated. I wanted clear expectations, direct answers, and a team that would stay engaged during the full process. EB-5 is not something you want to manage with vague timelines or unclear responsibilities, so I treated the attorney decision as a major part of risk management.
After I engaged Murthy Law Firm, the next step was to look at EB-5 projects. Murthy introduced me to a financial consultant who had multiple EB-5 projects. I spent several weeks working with them and reviewing the projects they had available, but none of those projects met my expectations or objectives. That is when I decided I needed to do independent research and widen my options.
Source of Funds and Preparing the Petition
From the very start, Murthy Firm set clear expectations about the timeline and the work involved. They told me it would take about two months to put together the full documentation package, and they were very clear that the most time-consuming part is always the source of funds section.
In my case, the process was still demanding, but it was easier than it can be for some investors because I had strong records available. I had eight years of payslips, eight years of tax documents, and eight years of bank statements. Having those records in order made it much easier for the legal team to build a clean story and support every part of the paper trail.
Even with good records, there was still a lot of back-and-forth. The attorneys asked questions and requested clarifications on bank statements and on specific parts of the source of funds trail. I answered those questions as they came up, and I made sure responses were complete and consistent, because small gaps can turn into big issues later.
The final documentation package ran into several hundred pages. That is normal, and it is not something to fear, as long as everything is organized and supported. The firm prepared a thorough package and sent it to me for a full review before filing. I reviewed the full set carefully, and only after that did they file the I-526E petition.
If I had to give advice to another investor starting the source of funds process, my first recommendation is to choose a very seasoned law firm. You want a team with deep EB-5 experience, strong communication, and a clear process. A good firm will set expectations early and will stand by you through the full journey.
Second, you should make sure your source of funds documentation is clean, and you should have clear evidence for each part of the funding story. Even if your funds are lawful, you still need to show the full path clearly, and it helps to review common expectations in the source of funds FAQ.
Third, you should budget realistically. It is not only the investment amount. There are substantial legal fees, USCIS filing fees, and sometimes consulting fees. You should go into EB-5 fully aware of the total cost, including fees that come later in the process.
Finally, I strongly suggest that investors negotiate with their attorney up front about RFEs. It is better to confirm that RFE responses are included in the overall legal fee, because if you do get an RFE, you want your attorney fully engaged without extra surprises, and you should understand the basics of how to avoid an RFE from the start.
Why I Chose the Tamarack Rural EB-5 Project
After reviewing projects with the financial consultant and deciding none of them worked for me, I built my own checklist and started reviewing projects independently. I did not want to rely only on a pitch. I wanted projects that met specific requirements, with documents that supported every claim.
The first red flag I looked for was whether the project had I-956F approval. If a project does not have that approval, the investor’s I-526E petition can sit pending until the project receives approval, and that can add months. For me, this was not an option.
I wanted a project that was already compliant at that level, and I understood why Form I-956F approval is beneficial before I invested.
The second factor was the capital structure. I looked at how much the developer was bringing in through other sources and how much the project relied on EB-5 capital. Any project that relied on more than about 25% to 30% EB-5 funding was a red flag for me. I wanted to see strong developer equity and other capital sources, because that usually signals strength and reduces pressure on EB-5 money.
Third was transparency. I paid attention to how regional centers communicated and whether they backed up what they said with real project documents. If someone made claims but could not support them with the offering documents, that was a no for me.
Fourth was the stage of the project. I wanted a project that had already started, or at least had clear groundwork, real progress, and a structure that made sense. I wanted to reduce the chance of delays that could affect timelines and job creation.
Another key decision for me was the investment structure. I was clear from the beginning that I preferred a loan-based project rather than an equity-based project. I wanted a structure with clear repayment terms, and I made sure I understood the tradeoffs by reviewing how loan vs. equity structures work in EB-5.
As I spoke with different regional centers, I saw that many focused heavily on sales pitch. For me, the pitch was not the decision-maker. The decision-maker was whether the claims were supported by documents and whether the project fit the checklist I built for myself.
My experience with EB5AN stood out clearly. I spoke with Jordan from their team and we had a long conversation—about an hour—where I asked a lot of questions. Jordan was patient, clear, and transparent, and that mattered more to me than any marketing language.
One example that stayed with me was the loan term. The project loan term was four plus one plus one. I asked if I could exit at the four-year mark instead of taking the optional extensions. Jordan did not give me a simple answer just to make me comfortable. He explained candidly that builders often want to maximize the loan term so they have enough time to repay investors. That honesty made me trust the process more than I trusted other conversations I had.
EB5AN was also strong on documentation. When I requested documents, I usually had them in my inbox within a day or two. That included the information I needed to evaluate the project properly, and it matched what I had learned about what investors should request during EB-5 due diligence.
They also went a step further and offered that I could visit the project in person before committing. That showed confidence in the project’s progress. They also shared quarterly summary reporting on sales volume and project progress, which helped me track whether the project was moving as expected.
Beyond the project itself, I also considered the developer and the regional center. On the developer side, I looked at how long they had been in business, how many projects they had completed, and whether there were any bankruptcy filings. On the regional center side, I cared about experience and reputation. EB5AN had been operating for over 13 years, and I did not see negative reviews about how they handled investors, which mattered.
Job creation was also central. The basic requirement is 10 jobs per investor sustained for two years. What I liked about the Tamarack project was that it had a job cushion. They had created more jobs than the minimum required, and that buffer helps reduce immigration risk across the process, including when conditions are removed later, which is part of the conditional Green Card timeline.
My I-526E Approval in Only 5 Months: My Advice for Others
After I decided to move forward with Tamarack, the process with EB5AN was smooth. They shared a clear set of instructions on how to apply, how to set up the wire transfer, where funds needed to go, and how to connect my attorney with the documents. The steps were organized and practical, and I completed that part of the process within a couple of weeks, including handling the escrow transfer and coordination.
My petition was filed in August 2025. It was approved in the first week of January, so it was under five months from filing to approval.
There were no RFEs. I was anxious during the waiting period because I knew RFEs can happen, but in my case the approval came through cleanly.
If someone is considering EB-5 now, the first thing I would say is that this path is not for everyone. You have to evaluate your situation, your needs, and your risk tolerance. You have to be in the right frame of mind to accept that EB-5 has risks and outcomes that you must be ready for.
Next, you need to do thorough diligence. Take enough time to do your own research, and if needed, involve a financial consultant so your review is grounded in real financial logic. I used tools like ChatGPT and Gemini for a large portion of my research, but I still made sure to add a human layer by talking to people, reviewing forums, and checking independent sources, and I recommend using a structured approach like AI-powered checklists without relying on AI alone.
You also need to choose an experienced immigration attorney. This is not the place to compromise. Look for a firm with decades of experience and a strong EB-5 track record, and make sure the fee structure covers what you need, including potential RFE responses.
Finally, you need to understand the full financial picture. The investment is only part of it. Legal fees, USCIS fees, regional center fees, and consulting fees can add up. You also need to plan for later-stage costs, including the stage where the conditional Green Card converts to permanent status through removal of conditions.
For the project selection itself, I believe the best approach is to build a checklist and compare projects side by side. EB-5 has different pathways, and you need to know what fits your needs. For many Indian investors who want speed, rural set-aside projects can make sense, and it helps to understand how reserved set-aside visas work before you decide.
The regional center selection is the trickiest part. Talk to multiple regional centers. Compare the quality of the documents, the transparency, the funding mix, the project stage, the job creation plan, and how they answer hard questions.
In my case, EB5AN fit the checklist I created from the beginning, and that helped me move faster and more confidently through the process.
