Under this program, entrepreneurs (and their spouses and unmarried children under 21) are eligible to apply for lawful permanent resident status (green card) if they:

• Make the necessary investment in a commercial enterprise in the United States; and
• Plan to create or preserve 10 permanent full-time jobs for qualified U.S. workers within 2 years.

In general, the minimum qualifying investment in the United States is $1 million. However, the minimum qualifying investment either within a high-unemployment area or rural area in the United States is $500,000. Although obtaining an EB-5 visa is complex, it offers several advantages, allowing the investor and his or her family to live anywhere in the U.S. on a permanent basis.