Can I be a university professor and hold EB-5 status at the same time?

Yes. You can work as a university professor while also pursuing or maintaining EB-5. There is no conflict between the two, because they follow different logic: one is your academic career, the other is a green card path through investment.

The EB-5 grants permanent residence to those who make a qualifying investment in a business that creates or preserves jobs in the United States. Nothing in that framework requires the investor to give up a profession or prevents them from teaching at a university. The program focuses on the investment and the jobs created, not on your personal occupation.

In practice, someone who is already teaching and decides to invest through EB-5 manages two parallel tracks:

• The academic career, with its own rules and obligations.
• The EB-5 requirements, tied to the investment and job creation.

Because immigration laws are detailed, it is worth verifying the current requirements and reviewing your specific situation with a specialist before making any decisions, avoiding any expectation of guaranteed outcomes.

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.