Does the return on a financial investment count for the EB-2 NIW?

The EB-2 NIW is not an investment-based immigration pathway, so the financial return on capital is not what decides the petition. Unlike categories such as EB-5, the reviewing authority evaluates the merit and national importance of your work, not how much money you invested or the profit it generated.

If your work involves projects with economic impact, the approach is to demonstrate the value of the work itself, not the performance of an investment. This typically involves:

• Evidence that your work benefits strategic sectors or drives innovation.
• Independent studies and expert opinions that contextualize the impact of your work.
• Letters from specialists attesting to the national relevance of your contributions.

Financial data may be included as context, but always in service of the main argument: that your work matters to the United States. If your goal is to immigrate through investment, it is worth evaluating whether another category better fits your profile.

Since every case is unique, it is worth reviewing the updated requirements from USCIS and, if possible, assessing the most appropriate pathway with a specialist before filing.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.