Case studies
Every EB-5 family faces different challenges. First, real experiences of Global Immigrate clients; then common situations that show how we plan.
EB-5 experiences of our clients
Published by Global Immigrate. Personal details have been kept confidential.
Both parents are doctors with stable careers, and wanted their children to finish secondary school in the US and enter university as domestic students.
Their daughter hoped to study in the US, and the family wanted another status option for the future.
His conditional green card was nearing two years, and he wanted to move smoothly to a ten-year permanent green card.
Investor scenarios
Illustrative scenarios, not client case studies. The people and figures below are composites of common situations, used to explain our approach. They don't represent any individual client or outcome.
- Family
- Taipei business owner, married, two children aged 15 and 12
- Born in
- Taiwan
- Funds
- Dividends accumulated over years, plus the sale of an investment property
- Goal
- Children finish high school and university in the U.S.
Business owner: source of funds before the project
Taiwan-born investors face no backlog, so every category is open. The real work is the source of funds: dividends must tie to company financials, board resolutions and personal tax returns, and the property sale must trace back to the original purchase funds and loan repayments.
Planning focus: decide which money to use and finish the documentation before funding. With the eldest at 15, there is time to prioritize project quality over processing speed.
- Family
- U.S.-based professional on an H-1B, married, one young child
- Born in
- Mainland China
- Funds
- A gift from parents, partly from the sale of their property
- Goal
- Escape the H-1B lottery and employer dependence
U.S.-based professional: set-asides and concurrent filing
For China-born investors, the unreserved category carries a multi-year backlog, so a set-aside category is the main option. Because set-aside categories are currently open to all countries of birth, the I-485 can be filed with the I-526E, with a work permit and travel permission while the case is pending.
Planning focus: the gift requires proof of the parents' own lawful source, and the transfer must work within mainland China's foreign exchange limits. Confirm that H-1B status will still be valid on the filing date.
- Family
- Hong Kong family, assets held through a family office and several offshore companies
- Born in
- Hong Kong
- Funds
- Investment income from an offshore holding company, distributed through several layers
- Goal
- A U.S. option for the next generation, aligned with wealth planning
Family office: tracing to the ultimate beneficial owner
Layered offshore structures complicate the path of funds, and USCIS will expect ownership and lawful source to be traced at every level. How assets are arranged before you become a U.S. tax resident also shapes your U.S. tax position afterwards.
Planning focus: run immigration and tax planning together. Review the asset structure with tax advisers before the green card, not after becoming a U.S. tax resident.
- Family
- A family with a 19-year-old about to start university
- Born in
- Taiwan
- Funds
- A personal investment portfolio and savings
- Goal
- The child attends a U.S. university as a green card holder
A child near 21: timing decides everything
The child must still qualify by age to come along. The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) lets you subtract I-526E processing time, but the calculation is complex and depends on visa availability.
Planning focus: file as soon as possible, with the attorney calculating CSPA age beforehand. A straightforward source of funds shortens preparation a great deal. Don't wait, but still choose a project that has been reviewed.
Is your situation different?
Every family's funds, country of birth and timeline differ. Tell us about yours and we'll assess it before recommending anything.