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EB-5 Regional Center: Gain Permanent Residency by Investment in the United States, Including Maryland

Do you and your family want to immigrate to Maryland or elsewhere in the United States? Or perhaps you’re an immigrant already living in Maryland, and you want to gain permanent U.S. residency? One of the best ways to achieve this is through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which enables you to obtain a U.S. Green Card by investing in the country’s economy.

Although you can invest anywhere in the United States, there are certain benefits to investing in Maryland. If you live in Maryland or plan on moving there, you might also wish to invest in a project located close to home.

Just like in other parts of the United States, the easiest way to make an EB-5 investment in Maryland is through a regional center. This article explains everything you need to know about this process.

What Is the EB-5 Program?
Primary EB-5 Investment Requirements
What Is a Regional Center?
Why Invest in a Regional Center?
EB5AN’s D.C. and Carolinas Regional Center
EB-5 Investors Based in Maryland
How to Evaluate EB-5 Investment Projects
Reasons to Immigrate to Maryland
Maryland: Population and Income Demographics
EB-5 Investment: Your Gateway to Permanent Residency in the U.S., Including Maryland

What Is the EB-5 Program?

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is a program that allows foreign investors to gain permanent residency in the U.S. by investing in a new commercial enterprise (NCE). If, after two years, you are able to prove that your investment has generated and maintained 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers, you can apply for an unconditional Green Card.

Read our article on the steps you need to take to obtain an EB-5 visa to learn more about the application procedure.

Primary EB-5 Investment Requirements

Investments made under the EB-5 program are required to meet certain criteria. These include:

  • ✔️ Investing a minimum of $1,050,000 in a project or business venture, or a minimum of $800,000 in an infrastructure project, or in a project or business venture located in a targeted employment area (TEA). All of EB5AN’s projects are located in TEAs and therefore qualify for the lower investment amount.
  • ✔️ Creating at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers and sustaining these jobs for a minimum of two years. Those who invest through a regional center can count indirect and induced jobs towards job creation. We discuss this in greater detail later in this article.
  • ✔️ Investing in a new commercial enterprise.
  • ✔️ Maintaining the at-risk status of the investment and using lawfully sourced investment funds.

 

💡 What Is a Targeted Employment Area?
A TEA is a part of the United States that is either a rural TEA or a high-unemployment TEA:

  • A rural TEA is not situated within a metropolitan statistical area or on the outer boundary of a city or town with a population equal to or exceeding 20,000 persons.
  • A high-unemployment TEA is a census tract or combined adjacent census tracts that have a combined average unemployment rate that is at least 150% of the national average unemployment rate.

There are several benefits to investing in EB-5 projects located in a TEA, including:

  • A lower minimum investment amount.
  • Faster application processing for rural TEA projects.
  • A lower likelihood of your visa application being caught in a backlog, as 20% of visas are reserved for rural TEA investors, and 10% of visas are reserved for high-unemployment TEA investors.

EB5AN offers several projects located in rural TEAs.

What Is a Regional Center?

EB-5 regional centers streamline the EB-5 investment process for potential EB-5 applicants. Investing through a regional center has several benefits:

Indirect Job Creation Counts Toward Your Total Job Creation

Investments that aren’t made through a regional center can only count full-time jobs created by their project—direct jobs—toward the required total of 10. If you invest through a regional center, however, full-time jobs generated because of your project—indirect jobs—also count.

Faster Form I-526E Approval for Rural TEA Projects

Once you have invested, you can apply to the EB-5 program by completing Form I-526E. This form requires you to provide details of the project you are investing in. A rural TEA project qualifies for priority processing, meaning your application will likely be processed faster.

Passive Management

Project managers acting for or on behalf of the NCE or the job-creating entity that owns and develops the project handle most of the business and fund management on behalf of investors. This is great if you want to avoid the hassle of managing a business yourself.

Why Invest in a Regional Center?

Potential EB-5 investors may select EB-5 investments located anywhere in the United States. However, opting for an EB-5 investment in Maryland offers several advantages:

Residency benefits are granted to all direct and indirect (via a regional center) EB-5 investors, irrespective of where in the United States the project is located; however, certain advantages apply to investing and living in Maryland.

  • The EB-5 program is one of the fastest ways to gain U.S. permanent residency for the EB-5 investor, their 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 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.
  • The EB-5 program does not require a visa sponsor (like a family member) or an employer sponsor.
  • Green Card holders do not need an H-1B work visa to work.
  • Maryland currently ranks 8th in disposable income due to the state’s skilled workforce, high-tech industries, and federal employment.
  • Maryland tax benefit includes subtracting $3,200 per exemption if federal adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less ($150,000 or less for joint filers).
  • Also, if you or your spouse are 65 or older or blind, you can claim an extra $1,000 exemption on your Maryland tax return. And, if any other dependent you claim is 65 or older, you can receive an extra exemption of up to $3,200 for them.
  • The state does not tax social security income, increasing disposable income for low-income seniors.
💡 What Is an H-1B Visa?
An H-1B visa is a work visa that allows foreign workers to come to the U.S. for a limited period to work in a specialist field. An employer must sponsor an H-1B visa; it is not an immigration visa.

Travel Benefits

  • Green Card holders can leave and enter the country without being denied reentry. However, some travel restrictions apply.
  • A bona fide resident and Green Card holder is free to travel to any part of 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 significantly improves the likelihood of admission to U.S. universities.
  • Green Card holders may qualify for financial aid and scholarships.
  • Permanent residents can work while studying, complete internships, and apply for postgraduate positions.

EB5AN’s D.C. and Carolinas Regional Center

Although EB-5 investors can make their EB-5 investment in projects located anywhere in the United States, those in Maryland may find it easier to invest in projects located within Maryland. Thankfully, EB5AN already has a USCIS-approved regional center in Maryland.

The EB5AN’s D.C. and Carolinas Regional Center contains 23 counties within Maryland, including the state’s largest city and economic hub, Baltimore

EB-5 Investors Based in Maryland

EB5AN has EB-5 investment projects available to people already living in the United States, including Maryland. The EB-5 program is the best way to obtain U.S. permanent residency by investment.

If you are a foreign national considering an EB-5 investment, EB5AN can help you. Schedule a call to learn more about currently available EB-5 investment opportunities and join other bona fide residents who have immigrated through the EB-5 program.

How to Evaluate EB-5 Investment Projects

EB-5 investors should evaluate financial and immigration risks when selecting an EB-5 investment project.

EB-5 visa investment capital must be at risk for the duration of the investment. This regulation ensures that investors invest their capital and are not simply “buying” a U.S. Green Card.

This “at-risk” requirement does not mean that EB-5 investors are obligated to invest in “risky” projects, but rather that there must be a chance of loss. Instead, EB-5 investors are recommended to conduct due diligence to minimize their exposure to financial and immigration risk.

Reasons to Immigrate to Maryland

There are many reasons to choose to live in Maryland and invest there.

Bustling Cities

  • Baltimore
  • Columbia
  • Germantown
  • Frederick
  • Waldorf
  • Silver Spring

It is also home to popular destinations like:

  • Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
  • Baltimore Inner Harbor
  • National Aquarium
  • Ocean City Beach
  • Antietam National Battlefield
  • Chesapeake Bay

Proximity to Washington D.C.

Maryland’s close proximity to Washington, D.C. provides access to a vast range of career opportunities, especially in government, defense, and technology sectors. Residents can commute easily, enjoying a suburban lifestyle while benefiting from the nation’s capital’s economic and cultural advantages.

High Educational Attainment

Maryland ranked 6th in educational attainment in 2021, with excellent public schools and renowned universities like Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland. The state’s strong focus on education fosters a highly skilled workforce and offers numerous opportunities for lifelong learning.

World-Class Healthcare

Home to some of the best healthcare institutions in the world, including Johns Hopkins Hospital, Maryland provides residents with access to top-tier medical care. The state’s healthcare facilities are known for innovation and excellence in patient care, making it a desirable place for health-conscious individuals.

Maryland: Population and Income Demographics

According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau at the time of writing, Maryland has a population of approximately 5 million people over the age of 16. Approximately 3.4 million of them are in the labor force—of these, 3.2 million are employed, and over 132 thousand are unemployed. The Bureau also quotes Maryland’s total population as approximately 6.2 million.

Maryland: General Economic Facts

Maryland’s 2024 gross domestic product (GDP) was $ 542.7 billion. Information technology, telecommunications, and aerospace and defense are leading forces behind Maryland’s economic growth.

EB-5 Investment: Your Gateway to Permanent Residency in the U.S., Including Maryland

With its strong job market and high-quality education, the state of Maryland is a great place to live. Investing in the U.S. economy under the EB-5 program is an easy way for foreign nationals to gain permanent U.S. residency status.

Best of all, if you gain citizenship under the EB-5 program, you will be able to live, work and travel anywhere in the United States. Book a free consultation today to find out how EB5AN can help you achieve this.

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