Combo card in under six months
EB-5 direct investment with adjustment of status
EB-5 Direct Investment With Adjustment of Status in the U.S.
Background
Ms. L was working in the U.S. on an O-1 visa. She invested in a newly formed business to apply for EB-5 investor immigration.
Challenges
- Complex source of funds: most of the investment came as gifts from relatives and friends, and every transfer had to show where the money came from and how it reached her.
- Investment in installments: the funds had to come in stages, and some overseas money was subject to currency exchange limits, so it could only be sent in batches.
- Proving a TEA (targeted employment area) ourselves: there was no existing designation for the business location, so we had to show with data that it was a high-unemployment area to qualify for the lower investment amount.
Strategy
- We reviewed each donor's income, gift agreement and transfer records one by one to show where every dollar came from and how it reached the company's account.
- The operating agreement states that the investment is not guaranteed and cannot be withdrawn early, and the installment schedule was written into the business plan, showing the investment is genuine and at risk.
- Using census data, we combined the business's area with adjacent areas to show that the unemployment rate met the high-unemployment standard.
Case Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| March 26, 2026 | I-526 investor petition filed |
| April 24, 2026 | Green card, work permit and advance parole applications filed |
| October 13, 2026 | Combo card received |
Outcome
Combo card received October 13, 2026, less than six months after the green card application was filed.