Institutional due diligence for high-net-worth EB-5 investors
We bridge the gap between international investors and U.S. Regional Center projects. We review the project, the capital stack and your path of funds first, then help you decide whether to invest, and in what.
By law, EB-5 capital must be at risk, and no project can guarantee repayment. Our job is to show you where the risk sits before you take it on.
EB-5 due diligence memo (sample)
| TEA status | Census tract data meets the rural definition and matches the I-956F | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Capital stack | EB-5 is a mezzanine loan, repaid after the senior bank loan | Watch |
| Completion | Parent-company guarantee; guarantor's last three years of financials outstanding | Pending |
| Job creation | Economic report projects about 14 jobs per investor, a healthy buffer | Sound |
| Repayment | Matures in year 5; issuer may extend to year 7 unilaterally | High risk |
| Fund controls | Segregated EB-5 account with a third-party fund administrator | Verified |
- 100+
- families approved for EB-5
- 100%
- approval rate
Based on EB-5 petitions filed through Global Immigrate to date. Past results do not predict future outcomes; EB-5 approval is never guaranteed and investment capital is at risk.
A framework for managing capital risk
High-net-worth investors care less about the rules than about three questions: can the money get there lawfully and cleanly, will the project stand up to scrutiny, and when and how does the capital come back.
Source of funds structuring
The leading cause of denials
Weak source-of-funds evidence is one of the main reasons EB-5 petitions fail. We plan the evidence trail before the money moves, not after.
- Cross-border transfers: Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China each have different foreign exchange and remittance practices, so the transfer route and every intermediary must be planned and disclosed
- Complex sources such as real estate sales, corporate dividends, share disposals, gifts and loans secured by personal assets
- Five years of personal and business tax records, and a traceable path from the lawful source to the project
Project due diligence
Most risk sits in the project
We review every regional center and project against written criteria, and give you our findings in a memo rather than passing on the issuer's marketing deck.
- Whether the targeted employment area (TEA) designation holds up and matches the I-956F
- Completion guarantees, the guarantor's financial strength, construction progress and budget
- Capital stack: where EB-5 money ranks against senior debt, what collateral it has, and whether other capital is actually in place
- Whether job creation assumptions are conservative and the buffer is adequate
Exit and repayment tracking
From filing to capital return
Your green card and your capital run on two different timelines. We lay both out before you invest, then track each one.
- Expected timing of I-526E approval, the conditional green card and I-829 removal of conditions
- The minimum two-year sustainment period, repayment triggers, and extension or redeployment terms
- Ongoing monitoring of project progress, and of the regional center's annual I-956G reports where it provides them
Three stages, one team throughout
You work with the same advisors from the first assessment to the green card. Petitions are prepared and filed by licensed U.S. immigration attorneys; we coordinate and check every step.
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Initial assessment and suitability analysis
A confidential review of your source of funds, country of birth, children's ages and family residency goals. If EB-5 isn't right for you, we'll say so.
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Project selection and legal oversight
We help you evaluate regional center or direct projects against our written criteria, your risk tolerance and your timeline, with a memo setting out the trade-offs of each.
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Petition filing and permanent residency
We coordinate the I-526E filing, concurrent I-485 or consular processing, the conditional green card, I-829 removal of conditions and your capital exit.
Four dates that affect timing and cost
Families considering EB-5 now need to plan around all of these.
- September 30, 2026 (passed)Grandfathering cutoffRegional center petitions filed on or before this date will be processed even if the program later lapses. Petitions filed after it don't have that protection.
- November 30, 2026New USCIS fees take effectThe I-526E fee rises from $3,675 to $7,850, and the I-829 fee from $3,750 to $5,000.
- January 1, 2027Minimum investment rises with inflationUSCIS hasn't published the final figures. Industry estimates are about $900,000–$937,500 for TEA projects and $1.2M–$1.25M for standard projects.
- September 30, 2027Regional Center Program authorization expiresCongress must reauthorize it. This is a program risk every new investor should weigh.
The advisors reviewing your case
Global Immigrate was founded in Hong Kong in 2018 and has offices in Hong Kong, Taipei and Toronto. It is a member of GI Group Holdings Limited.
Oscar Yip
Founder & Managing Director
Founded Global Immigrate in 2018. Oscar leads investment and talent immigration work across the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and oversees GI Group's tax, wealth and education services.
Justin Choy
Head of Taiwan & Local Compliance Adviser
More than 25 years of advisory experience across industries and in immigration. Justin holds the CFA charter, the Investment Migration Council's IMCert and Taiwan's immigration professional certification, and is a retained immigration adviser to several family offices.
EB-5 investor guide
Based on current USCIS rules, last reviewed October 2026.
Investment amounts, set-aside visa categories, country-of-birth backlogs, concurrent filing in the U.S., timelines and fees.
Check whether your category is backlogged, and estimate whether a child could age out under the Child Status Protection Act.
The documents to prepare by fund type, with Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China specifics.
The ten written criteria we apply to every regional center and project, and the questions you can put to any issuer.
Real EB-5 experiences of our clients, and how source of funds, category and timing shape planning for common family situations.
Scrutinize the risk before you commit.
Tell us about your funds and your timeline. We'll first assess whether EB-5 suits you, then prepare a private due diligence memo. Everything you share is kept confidential.