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The only direct path to a US green card through investment

EB-5 visa
US green card by investment

The timeline depends heavily on the project type: a prioritised rural TEA project can take as little as 5 months, a standard urban project up to 30. We show the range, not an optimistic average.

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Investment from
$800,000
Time to status
5–36 mo.
Stay requirement
continuous after status
Citizenship after
5 years

The threshold depends on the project’s zone

The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act 2022 set two thresholds. The difference is not only the amount — rural projects get priority in the review queue, so status can arrive far faster.

PROJECT TYPE
AMOUNT
WHAT TO KNOW
TEA — rural area or high-unemployment zone
AMOUNT$800,000
Priority review: realistically 5–12 months to I-526E approval.
Outside a targeted zone (standard urban project)
AMOUNT$1,050,000
No priority — 18–30 months to I-526E approval, longer and costlier.

What the full cost consists of

The government fees themselves are modest relative to the investment, but in 2026 USCIS signalled its intent to raise them — check for updates before filing.

COST ITEM
RATE
APPLIES TO
Form I-526E (petition filing)
RATE$3,675
per investor
EB-5 Integrity Fund Fee
RATE$1,000
per investor, mandatory under the 2022 law
Form I-829 (removing conditions on residence)
RATE$3,750
per investor, temporarily reduced by a court ruling — may change
Fund legal and administrative fees
RATEmarket rate, a significant sum
per investor, separate from the investment amount

How the process runs

01
Choosing a project and investing
Through a regional center (most filings) or directly into your own business. Funds must be genuinely invested and at risk.
02
Filing I-526E
The investor petition. This is where the TEA zone type decides the timeline — 5–12 months for rural, 18–30 for standard urban projects.
03
Conditional green card
After I-526E approval, a 2-year conditional green card is issued — not yet a final status.
04
Confirming job creation
The project must create 10 full-time jobs per investor — confirmed before filing I-829.
05
Form I-829 and removal of conditions
The final step: conditions are removed and the status becomes permanent. Citizenship becomes available 5 years after the conditional green card was issued.

A good fit if

You specifically need a US green card, not visa-free access or residence elsewhere — EB-5 is the only direct investment route to one.
You are willing to invest in a rural or high-unemployment TEA project for priority review.
You have a horizon from a few months (rural TEA) to a few years (standard project) and can confirm job creation.
You have children — the green card covers a spouse and children under 21 in one petition.

A poor fit if

You need a fast, predictable timeline — even the best case (rural TEA) is at least 5 months to an interim status.
You need a guaranteed return — the money is invested genuinely at risk, not with a fixed yield.
Your budget caps out below $850,000 once side costs are included.
The project cannot confirm 10 jobs created per investor — without that, I-829 will not be approved.

Who runs this programme

Your request goes to two or three firms from this list. You see exactly which ones before it is sent, and you can exclude any of them.

Henley & Partners
Лондон, Великобритания · since 1997
The largest advisory firm in the industry — over 70 offices worldwide; also advises governments on designing migration programmes.
NTL Trust
Карибский регион (офисы в Латинской Америке, Европе, на Ближнем Востоке и в Азии) · since 1994
30+ years in citizenship and residence by investment, officially accredited by several Caribbean governments; also trust and corporate services.
Arton Capital
Монреаль, Канада · since 2006
Global financial advisory firm specialising in residence and citizenship by investment.
Astons
Дубай, ОАЭ (основана в Лондоне) · since 1989
One of the oldest firms in the market, over 9,000 clients from 100+ countries; Golden Visa, citizenship and RBI worldwide.
La Vida Golden Visas
Лондон, Великобритания · since 2002
Over 20 years of experience, clients from 160+ countries; specialises in Portugal’s Golden Visa and other EU programmes.
Savory & Partners
Дубай, ОАЭ · since 2009
Over 70 specialists across 8 offices on three continents, 20+ jurisdictions, over 11,000 clients.
Global Citizen Solutions
Лондон, Великобритания / Лиссабон, Португалия · since 2016
Global mobility consultancy with a Lisbon office; specialises in Portugal’s Golden Visa and Spain’s Non-Lucrative Visa.

This is an independent list of firms in the market, not our partners — we do not forward requests to them or receive payment for referrals. Contact them directly via the link.

Frequent questions

Why does the timeline range from 5 to 36 months?

The project type decides it. Rural and high-unemployment TEA projects get priority review under the 2022 law — realistically 5–12 months. Standard urban projects go through the regular queue — 18–30 months to I-526E approval alone.

What is a conditional green card?

The first status an investor receives after I-526E approval — valid for 2 years. It only becomes permanent after I-829 is approved, once job creation is confirmed.

Is the investment return guaranteed?

No. The law explicitly requires the money to be "at risk" — this is a genuine entrepreneurial investment, not a fixed-yield deposit, and it can fail to pay off.

How many years until citizenship?

Five years from receiving the conditional green card — the same as most other US green card categories, with no acceleration for investing.

Who can be included in the petition?

A spouse and children under 21 — everyone receives a green card as part of one investor petition.

Will the government fees change?

USCIS has signalled intent to raise fees in 2026 — the I-526E amount could rise from $3,675 to a higher figure. Check the current fee schedule before filing.

Sources

USCIS — official EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program page↗EB5 United — detailed breakdown of timelines and stages as of 2026↗

Figures are for reference only. Verified against official sources on 26 August 2026. A precise quote is issued by the appointed firm after document review. This material is not legal advice, a public offer or investment advice.