EB-5 Investors from North Dakota Seeking EB-5 Investment

EB-5 investors from North Dakota seeking an EB-5 investment should consider the benefits of investing in an EB5AN EB-5 visa project.

Why Do Most EB-5 Investors Use Regional Centers?

EB-5 regional centers streamline the EB-5 investment process for potential EB-5 applicants and make it easier to demonstrate required job creation. Specifically, only regional centers may use the indirect method of calculating jobs through an approved economic methodology. This means that EB-5 investors must show only that their invested funds were spent according to the business plan rather than documenting that full time (W-2) employees were hired and remained employed for at least two full years.

EB5AN maintains multiple USCIS-approved regional centers with broad geographic coverage, enabling it to immediately sponsor strong EB-5 projects across the United States, including North Dakota.

The EB5AN State of North Dakota Regional Center

Potential EB-5 investors may select EB-5 investments located anywhere in the United States. Those living in North Dakota, however, may simply want to invest in projects located within the state, and EB5AN already has a USCIS-approved regional center in North Dakota.

The EB5AN Midwest Regional Center is expected to receive USCIS approval in 2023, at which time it will be licensed to sponsor EB-5 investment projects throughout all 53 counties in the state of North Dakota, including the largest cities in the state.

Fargo is the most populated city in North Dakota with a population of 125,990. Home to North Dakota State University, Fargo is a cultural, retail, health care, educational, and industrial center for southeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.

Home to 73,622 people, Bismarck is North Dakota’s capital and second-largest city. As a hub of retail trade and health care, the city is the economic center of south-central North Dakota and north-central South Dakota.

Grand Forks, the third-most populated city in North Dakota, is home to 59,166 inhabitants. It is best known as the home of one of the top collegiate hockey programs in the United States as well as the site of Grand Forks Air Force Base and the University of North Dakota.

Green Card Benefits for North Dakota EB-5 Investors

The direct benefits of making an EB-5 investment in North Dakota include the following:

Residency and Citizenship Benefits

EB-5 is one of the fastest methods to gain permanent residency in the United States for the EB-5 investor, his or her spouse, and their unmarried children under 21 years of age.
Retired Green Card holders can access their pensions earned abroad and in the United States. They may also qualify for Medicare and other social welfare programs.
Green Card holders may apply for U.S. citizenship after a minimum of five years of established permanent residency in the United States.

Employment Benefits

Green Card holders are free to live and work anywhere in the United States, without restriction.
- Live anywhere, from the beaches of California and Hawaii to the mountains of Colorado, from a quiet, rural town to the hustle and bustle of New York City.
- Live in states such as North Dakota and Texas with no state income tax.
The EB-5 program does not require a visa sponsor or employer sponsor
Green Card holders do not need an H-1B work visa in order to work.

Travel Benefits

Green Card holders can leave and enter the country without being denied reentry, although some travel restrictions apply.
Green Card holders are free to travel to any part of the United States.
In the event of a political change or significant event in the investor’s home country, the investor and his or her family can immediately gain entry to the United States.

Education Benefits

Green Card holders have free access to public elementary, middle, and high schools and lower-cost in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
U.S. residency improves the likelihood of U.S. university admission by as much as 350%.
- Green Card holders qualify for in-state tuition, financial aid, and scholarships.
- Permanent residents can also work while studying, complete internships, and apply for postgraduate positions.

Primary EB-5 Investment Requirements

The primary EB-5 investment requirements can be summarized as follows:

Investing a minimum of $800,000 for EB-5 investments made in rural or high unemployment areas designated as targeted employment areas (TEAs). Projects outside of TEAs require an investment of $1,050,000, but all of EB5AN’s EB-5 investment projects are located in TEAs and qualify for the lower investment threshold of $800,000.
Creating or preserving at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers that last a minimum of two years.
Investing in a new commercial enterprise or a troubled business.
Maintaining the at-risk status of the investment and using investment funds that have been lawfully sourced.

How to Evaluate EB-5 Investment Projects

EB-5 investors based in North Dakota should evaluate both financial and immigration risk when selecting an EB-5 investment project.

One of the requirements of a successful EB-5 visa investment is that the investment capital must be at risk for the duration of the investment. This is to ensure investors actually invest their capital and are not simply “buying” a U.S. Green Card.

“At risk” does not mean that EB-5 investors are required to invest in “risky” projects. Quite the contrary—EB-5 investors are strongly recommended to conduct thorough due diligence to minimize their exposure to financial and immigration risk.

EB5AN, in collaboration with Klasko Immigration Law Partners, has developed an EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Tool for EB-5 investors. This highly functional, easy-to-use tool guides investors through the initial diligence of EB-5 projects from both financial and immigration risk perspectives.

Download our EB-5 Project Risk Assessment Questionnaire

More Information about North Dakota

North Dakota: Population and Income Demographics

According to the U.S. Census, North Dakota has a population of 774,948. Of this, approximately 406,228 people are in the labor force, with 394,601 employed and 11,627 unemployed.

North Dakota: General Economic Outlook

North Dakota covers an area of 70,705 square miles, with an approximate width of 200 miles and a length of 300 miles. This implies a population density of 10.73 people per square mile, making North Dakota one of the least-densely populated states.

North Dakota’s capital is Bismarck and the state’s most-populated city and largest metropolitan area is Fargo. North Dakota’s 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) was $53.8 billion. This implies a per capita GDP of $81,795.

Although it employs less than 10% of the state’s population, agriculture is North Dakota’s largest industry. Roughly 90% of the state’s land area is in farms with 27,500,000 acres of cropland, the third-largest amount in the nation. North Dakota is the leading national producer of many cereal grains — including barley, durum wheat, hard red spring wheat, and oats — honey, dry beans, peas, and lentils. Other major agricultural outputs include sugarbeets, potatoes, oilseeds, soybeans, and cattle.