How Do Regional Center and EB-5 Investments Differ?
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, a permanent federal program established in 1990, allows foreign investors to pursue U.S. residency by investing in a project that creates jobs for American workers. In 1992, Congress created the EB-5 Regional Center Program to simplify the investment process and thus attract more investors to stimulate economic growth. Unlike the direct EB-5 program, the regional center program is a temporary program and reauthorized periodically. These two EB-5 investment options are referred to as direct and indirect EB-5 investments, with direct investments referring to investments in projects that are not sponsored by a regional center.
Whatever the type of EB-5 investment an EB-5 visa applicant chooses, the basic EB-5 requirements remain the same: they must invest the minimum required amount to create 10 full-time jobs for American workers. The minimum investment amounts remain the same for both types of investors. The most significant differences between the two models are the types of jobs that count toward the job creation total, the role the regional center plays in the EB-5 visa process, and the way each model is structured.
Click here to learn more about the Differences between regional center and direct EB-5 investments.
Higher Ground Education Schools (Equity)
– $800K or $1.05M Direct Investment – One EB-5 Investor Per School
INVEST AND FILE YOUR I-526 TODAY – NO DELAY
- Higher Ground Education has more than 90 U.S. locations and 2,000+ current company employees
- School team has direct EB-5 experience with 100% I-526 approval rate for 23 previous direct EB-5 investors
- Each EB-5 investor invests $800K or $1.05M into one school
- Each school is expected to create 20+ jobs; more than double the required 10 jobs per EB-5 investor
- Preferred return structure and a clear exit strategy that complies with EB-5 rules
- EB-5 compliance and monitoring provided by EB5AN, an experienced EB-5 operator
- Repayment guaranty for denied I-526 petitions
- H-1B / F-1 / E-2 / TN visa holders can immediately adjust immigration status
Saltaire St. Petersburg Phase II (Loan)
– $800K Regional Center Investment
REGIONAL CENTER EB-5 PROGRAM
- 35-story luxury condominium development in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida
- 100% of 192 condominium units already sold out
- 25+ EB-5 investors have already joined the project
- All required jobs already created for all EB-5 investors
- Phase II of USCIS I-924 exemplar approved project
- Construction is underway
- Senior loan agreement with Wells Fargo Bank
- Appraisal valuation report from CBRE Group
- I-526 approval refund guaranty
- Construction completion guaranty
- Loan repayment guaranty
- Sister project ONE St. Petersburg, 3 blocks away, is 100% sold out
- 12th EB-5 project by EB5AN and the Kolter Group
- H-1B / F-1 / E-2 / TN visa holders can immediately adjust immigration status
Twin Lakes Georgia (Equity)
– $800K Regional Center Investment
REGIONAL CENTER EB-5 PROGRAM
- 1,300 single-family home community development
- Qualifies as Rural TEA for EB-5 visa set aside and faster processing
- All required EB-5 jobs already created
- 721 jobs created for each EB-5 investor
- Construction is underway; 200+ homes already sold
- Senior loan agreement with Wells Fargo Bank
- Multiple EB-5 investor guaranties
- 13th EB-5 project by EB5AN and Kolter Group
- H-1B / F-1 / E-2 / TN visa holders can immediately adjust immigration status