EB-5 Minimum Investment: How Much You Need in 2026

The EB-5 minimum investment is $800,000 if you invest in a Targeted Employment Area and $1,050,000 if you invest anywhere else. These thresholds were set by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 and are scheduled to adjust for inflation, with the next adjustment expected in 2027. On top of the investment itself, applicants should budget roughly $90,000 to $165,000 in legal, administrative, and government filing fees, and the capital must be lawfully sourced and genuinely at risk.

This is general information, not legal advice. EB-5 thresholds and fees change, so confirm the current figures with a licensed immigration attorney and USCIS before you file. No business plan or article can guarantee a visa outcome.

The two investment thresholds

EB-5 has a standard amount and a discounted amount. The discounted $800,000 applies when your investment is in a Targeted Employment Area; the standard $1,050,000 applies everywhere else. Both buy the same outcome, a conditional green card for you, your spouse, and unmarried children under 21, provided the investment creates at least ten full-time US jobs. The lower threshold is why most direct investors structure their project inside a qualifying area.

What is a Targeted Employment Area?

A Targeted Employment Area, or TEA, is a rural area or one with high unemployment, defined as at least 150 percent of the national average. Investing in a TEA unlocks the $800,000 minimum instead of $1,050,000. TEA designation depends on current data and specific boundaries, so it is verified case by case; this is one of the points where working with counsel matters most.

Will the EB-5 minimum investment increase?

Yes, it is expected to. The 2022 law built in inflation adjustments every five years, so the next change is anticipated around 2027, with the TEA minimum often projected to rise toward roughly $900,000. Nothing is fixed until USCIS publishes the new figures, but investors who are close to filing often weigh acting before an adjustment.

The total cost beyond the investment

The headline number is only the qualifying capital. Plan for roughly $85,000 to $165,000 more for a regional-center investment, covering regional center administration fees, USCIS filing fees, the $1,000 EB-5 Integrity Fund fee, immigration attorney fees, and a business plan with an economic analysis. Our full EB-5 visa cost breakdown itemizes each fee; the short version is that the investment dominates the budget while the fees, though significant, are secondary. USCIS fees change often and parts of the schedule are under litigation, so confirm the current amount on the USCIS website before you file.

The investment must be at risk and lawfully sourced

Meeting the dollar amount is necessary but not sufficient. The capital must be genuinely at risk, meaning it is committed to the enterprise with no guaranteed return, and you must document a lawful source of funds with a clear paper trail. Adjudicators scrutinize both, and weak source-of-funds evidence is a frequent reason for a Request for Evidence.

How the business plan supports the investment

The numbers do not speak for themselves; a credible plan has to show how the capital is spent and how it creates the required ten jobs within about two years. That is the Matter of Ho standard our breakdown of what the EB-5 plan must prove covers in detail, and it is exactly what our EB-5 business plan written to Matter of Ho delivers.

Is EB-5 the right route?

EB-5 is the path when you want permanent residency and can commit the larger investment. If your goal is to actively run a business with less capital and you hold a treaty passport, the comparison with the E-2 visa is worth reading before you decide. Either way, the petition rests on a credible plan, which is what our immigration plan service is built to provide.