Investor Visa Attorney in Chicago — EB-5 & Treaty Visas
Investment-based immigration provides pathways for foreign nationals to live and work in the United States by investing capital in American businesses. At Liberum Law, our investor visa attorneys in Chicago guide clients through the EB-5 immigrant investor program and other investment-based visa options.
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program offers a direct path to U.S. permanent residence through qualifying investments. Direct EB-5 investments require a minimum of $1,050,000 (or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area) and the creation of at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers. Regional Center EB-5 investments allow indirect job creation through USCIS-approved regional centers.
Beyond the EB-5, investment-based immigration options include E-2 treaty investor visas for nationals of qualifying countries, E-1 treaty trader visas for businesses engaged in substantial trade, and L-1A visas for executives of multinational companies establishing U.S. operations.
Our investor visa services include investment opportunity evaluation and eligibility assessment, source of funds documentation and compliance, business plan development, I-526E petition preparation for EB-5 applications, regional center selection and due diligence, conditional residence removal (I-829) filing, and comprehensive immigration strategy development.
Contact our investor visa attorneys at Liberum Law for a free consultation to explore your investment immigration options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What investor visas are available?
Two primary categories: E-2 (treaty investor — nonimmigrant, renewable indefinitely) and EB-5 (immigrant investor — leads to green card). E-2 requires nationality of a treaty country and substantial active investment. EB-5 requires $800,000 or $1,050,000 investment with job creation requirements.
What's the difference between E-2 and EB-5?
E-2 is a nonimmigrant visa renewable indefinitely; EB-5 is a permanent residence path. E-2 requires treaty country nationality; EB-5 has no nationality restriction. E-2 typically needs $100K–$200K+ in active investment; EB-5 requires $800K (targeted area) or $1.05M with job creation. E-2 is faster (months); EB-5 takes years.
Can a non-treaty national get an investor visa?
Direct E-2 is unavailable. Options include: EB-5 (no nationality restriction), citizenship by investment in a treaty country (Grenada, Turkey — then apply for E-2), or alternative routes like O-1, L-1, or H-1B based on the underlying business.
How long does an investor visa take?
E-2: 2–6 months total from application to visa. EB-5: 2–5+ years to conditional green card, depending on country of birth and USCIS backlog. Premium processing recently introduced for some EB-5 steps.
Can family come on investor visas?
Yes. E-2 spouses get automatic work authorization (E-2 dependent); children get school access and may work in some cases. EB-5 grants conditional green cards to spouse and unmarried children under 21, transitioning to full green cards after 2 years on a successful I-829 petition.
