EB5 VISA PROGRAM OVERVIEW 2024
Types of EB5 Projects
A look at the potential candidate industries and sectors for 2025
EB5 project eligibility is not limited to any specific set of sectors or industries. Instead, job creation (or job preservation) is the name of the game.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has defined specific criteria for new commercial enterprises (NCEs) or so-called “troubled businesses” to be eligible target companies under the EB5 Visa Program:
- NCEs: A for-profit organization that waw established or restructured after November 29, 1990.
- Troubled Businesses: A business that experienced a minimum net loss of 20% in the 12 or 24 months before receiving EB-5 investment capital. Here, EB5 applicants have the option of either creating new jobs, or preserving existing jobs that were under threat.
Below, we highlight a range of industries and commercial project types that have benefited from EB5 capital since 1990, along with some sectors that could benefit from EB5 capital in the future.
Please note that these examples were selected for their notability only, and their inclusion does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement of either these projects or their developers.
Different Types Of EB5 Regional Center Projects
| Project Type | Overview |
|---|---|
| Real Estate Projects | Since the EB5 Visa Program’s inception in 1990, the overwhelming majority of EB5 projects launched and completed were in the real estate sector.
Whilst the following list is not exhaustive, previous EB5 Real Estate projects have included new hotel builds and vacation resorts, a wide range of commercial property projects, rehabilitation and elderly care facilities, medical facilities, residential accommodation and mixed-usage complexes, to name but a few examples. Numerous prominent hotel chains have utilized EB5 capital over the past three decades, and continue to to do so in 2024. EB5 Real estate developers benefit from a source of more affordable capital, whilst EB5 applicants benefit from investing in a proven, reduced-risk model with hard asset backing. In addition, the previous minimum hold period of 5 years typically matched timeframes for these major property developments fairly closely, making EB5 real estate investments an obvious and stable choice for a large percentage of total EB5 applicants. |
| EB5 Energy Projects | As the adoption of renewable energy technologies gains momentum around the world, opportunities for EB5 investment in this sector will increasingly proliferate. Energy sectors to keep an eye on for emerging EB5 projects include wind, solar, hydroelectric power, and potentially even nuclear power.
But the world will still have to rely on more traditional energy sources for the foreseeable future. And that’s where our high-potential EB5 energy project in the Oil and Gas sector comes in… |
| EB5 Production and Manufacturing Projects |
As the world becomes less globalized once more, manufacturing and production looks set to return to the American heartland. For EB5 applicants seeking alternatives to real estate projects, the building or expansion of factories and manufacturing plants could therefore hold interesting opportunities in the future. |
| EB5 Technology Projects |
Higher projected yields seldom come without higher potential downside risks. However, with America making a play at becoming a global leader in high-performance microchip production and Artificial Intelligence (AI), we can likely expect to see some every interesting EB5 project opportunities emerge in this space. |
| EB5 Infrastructure Projects | While infrastructure projects benefit from visa set-asides and priority processing, they’re not nearly as common – or as popular – as EB5 real estate projects.
Examples of potential EB5 infrastructure projects include harbours and adjacent amenities, airports, tolled highways, bridges and tunnels, as well as public recreational facilities. One notable completed EB5 infrastructure project is the I-95/Pennsylvania Turnpike connector, which completed the longest north–south route in the Interstate Highway System. |
| EB5 Agricultural Projects | America’s agricultural sector is another area that could benefit from the current deglobalization trend and the interruption of international supply chains due to emerging geopolitical conflicts.
Potential EB5 agricultural expansion or technology oriented projects could therefore also emerge in the future… |