Can I invest directly in a company?

Yes. EB-5 offers two main paths, and direct investment is one of them. In this model, you place capital into a business you own, whether newly created or expanded, and take an active role in its creation and management.

The alternative is the regional center, an authorized entity that manages the project on your behalf. This path typically reduces the need for day-to-day involvement in the business and makes it easier to account for job creation, but it comes with its own compliance requirements.

• Direct: greater control and involvement, along with greater responsibility for the operation.
• Regional center: outsourced management and its own oversight rules.

In both models, the investment must generate the number of jobs required by the program and meet all other requirements. Since details can change, it is worth confirming current conditions on the USCIS website and evaluating which option fits your profile before investing.

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.