Can I use SBA (Small Business Administration) financing for EB-5?

As a general rule, SBA financing (Small Business Administration) does not fit the EB-5 program, because it is a loan that must be repaid, and the program requires capital that is the investor’s own and genuinely at risk.

A central premise of EB-5 is that the invested funds belong to the investor and remain committed to the project’s development, subject to business risk. Resources that create a repayment obligation typically disqualify that risk and, for that reason, tend not to be accepted as part of the required investment.

Immigration authorities carefully review the origin and structure of the capital, so documentation proving the source of the funds is decisive. Combining different lawful sources is usually possible, but each arrangement must preserve the at-risk nature of the investment.

Because this is a technical and sensitive area, it is worth checking the current rules with USCIS and structuring the source of funds with the support of a specialist 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.