EB-5 Visa Attorney in Chicago — Immigrant Investor Program
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program provides foreign nationals with a path to U.S. permanent residence through qualifying investments in American businesses that create jobs. Our EB-5 visa attorneys at Liberum Law in Chicago provide end-to-end representation from investment structuring through conditional residence removal.
EB-5 program requirements include a minimum investment of $1,050,000 in a new commercial enterprise (or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area), creation of at least 10 full-time positions for qualifying U.S. workers, the investment must be at risk — guaranteed returns or debt arrangements are not permitted, and the investor must demonstrate that the investment funds were obtained through lawful means.
The EB-5 process involves several stages: I-526E petition filing with USCIS, approval and adjustment of status or consular processing to obtain conditional permanent residence, two-year conditional residence period during which the investment must be maintained, and I-829 petition to remove conditions on permanent residence after demonstrating that the investment was sustained and jobs were created.
Our EB-5 practice includes due diligence on regional center and direct investment opportunities, comprehensive source of funds analysis and documentation, I-526E petition preparation, I-829 conditional residence removal, and coordination with immigration counsel in the investor’s home country.
The EB-5 program has specific complexities, including retrogression in certain countries, regional center integrity reviews, and evolving USCIS adjudication standards. Our attorneys stay current on all developments to provide accurate and strategic advice.
Contact our EB-5 visa attorneys at Liberum Law for a consultation to discuss your immigrant investor visa options.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do I need to invest for EB-5?
Current minimums: $800,000 if investing in a Targeted Employment Area (rural or high-unemployment) or infrastructure project; $1,050,000 otherwise. The investment must be at-risk, lawfully sourced, and committed to a new commercial enterprise that creates at least 10 full-time U.S. jobs per investor.
What is the job creation requirement?
Each EB-5 investor must support the creation of at least 10 full-time positions for U.S. workers within 2 years of admission as a conditional resident. Direct investments require directly hiring; regional center investments can count indirect and induced jobs through economic models.
What's the difference between direct and regional center EB-5?
Direct EB-5: invest in and actively manage a specific business; only direct jobs count. Regional center EB-5: invest through a USCIS-approved regional center pooling capital into projects; indirect and induced jobs count, and active management is not required. Most EB-5 investments use regional centers.
How long does EB-5 take?
Total timeline from investment to permanent green card: typically 4–7 years. New I-526E processing has improved with set-aside categories (rural, urban high-unemployment, infrastructure) — under 2 years in some cases. China- and India-born investors face additional retrogression delays.
Can I lose my EB-5 green card?
Initial EB-5 status is conditional for 2 years. Form I-829 must be filed in the 90 days before conditions expire to remove conditions — showing the investment was sustained and required jobs were created. Failure to meet conditions can result in loss of permanent residence.
