EB-5 Investors from Minnesota Seeking EB-5 Investment

EB-5 investors from Minnesota 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 Minnesota.

The EB5AN State of Minnesota Regional Center

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

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 87 counties in the state of Minnesota, including the largest cities in the state.

Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota with a population of 425,336. Nicknamed the “City of Lakes’, Minneapolis is abundant in bodies of water, with 13 lakes, wetlands, creeks, waterfalls, and the Mississippi River. The city is also known for boasting one of the most extensive public park systems in the United States.

Minnesota’s capital, Saint Paul, is the state’s second-most populated city with 307,193 residents. As a regional business hub and the center of Minnesota’s government, Saint Paul is a core city of the third-largest metropolitan area in the Midwest.

With a population of 121,465, Rochester is the third-largest city in Minnesota. It is best known as the home of the Mayo Clinic, which forms the core of Rochestor’s economy. Besides the state government, Mayo Clinic is the largest employer in Minnesota.

Green Card Benefits for Minnesota EB-5 Investors

The direct benefits of making an EB-5 investment in Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota

Minnesota: Population and Income Demographics

According to the U.S. Census, Minnesota has a population of 5,707,390. Of this, approximately 3,109,756 people are in the labor force, with 2,957,951 employed and 151,805 unemployed.

Minnesota: General Economic Outlook

Minnesota covers an area of 85,935.83 square miles, with an approximate width of 200–350 miles and a length of 400 miles. This implies a population density of 68.9 people per square mile.

Minnesota’s capital is Saint Paul, and Minneapolis is the state’s most populated city. Together, these two cities — known as the “Twin Cities” — comprise the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, the largest metro area in the state. Minnesota’s 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) was $346.2 billion. This implies a per capita GDP of $72,187.

Once centered around the production of raw materials, Minnesota’s economy has since evolved to focus on finished products and services. Of the United States’ top 1,000 publicly traded companies by revenue, 33 are headquartered in Minnesota. The state is also home to Cargill, the largest privately owned company in the nation. Minnesota’s earliest industries were fur trading, mining, and agriculture; in fact, the state produced a significant portion of the world’s iron ore for over a century. Although less than 1% of the population is employed in the agriculture sector today, it remains a key part of Minnesota’s economy when accounting for the value of products sold. The state is among the nation’s top producers of corn, soybeans, sugar beets, sweet corn, peas, and turkeys. Forestry and mining remain strong economic components as well.