Are you considering a self-funded pathway: EB-5 investment, E-2 treaty investor, or O-1 extraordinary ability?
EB-5 minimum investment is $800K (TEA) or $1.05M (non-TEA) under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, with a 10-job-creation requirement and source-of-funds documentation that often runs 200+ pages. E-2 (treaty investor) requires substantial investment in a *bona fide* enterprise and only available to nationals of treaty countries. O-1 extraordinary ability requires *sustained national or international acclaim* — a paper standard most clients underestimate; we typically build O-1 packets at 800–1,200 pages with peer testimonials, citations index, judging records, and media coverage.
Context & Examples
Real example — Diego, Modesto restaurant entrepreneur. Diego had built a successful chain of three restaurants in Mexico City. He came to us about EB-5 thinking he needed $800K cash — he didn't have it. We screened E-2 instead (Mexico is not a treaty country, but his Mexican-Spanish dual nationality unlocked it). We structured a $260K investment in a Modesto restaurant location, documented his role as an investor-operator, traced source of funds through his Mexico City sale proceeds, and obtained E-2 approval in 4 months. He has renewed twice. His U.S. citizen daughter has filed an I-130 — she'll convert him to LPR in 2027.
Horror story — California Bay Area, EB-5 fraud regional center. A 2018 EB-5 investor put $500K into a Bay Area regional center promising real-estate development. The center was sanctioned by SEC for fraud in 2021. The investor's I-526 was denied for failure to maintain at-risk investment. He lost the $500K, lost the green card pathway, and is in litigation against the regional center principal — who declared bankruptcy.
Why an attorney is essential: Investment-based immigration is where the most expensive mistakes happen. We do not approve any EB-5 regional center for our clients without independent due diligence.
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