Using Loan Proceeds as EB-5 Capital After Zhang v. USCIS
Borrowed money can fund an EB-5 investment, but the rules are detailed. This article explains what Zhang v. USCIS decided, why the investor must be personally liable, why the lender's own source of funds matters, the difference between secured and unsecured loans, and the documents to prepare.
Pre-Immigration Tax Planning Basics (Not Tax Advice)
An educational overview of the U.S. tax concepts EB-5 investors should understand before obtaining a green card, including the two residency tests, worldwide income, FBAR and FATCA reporting, basis planning concepts, the significance of when the green card takes effect, and why a cross-border CPA is essential. Not tax advice.
Five Common Source-of-Funds Pitfalls
Source of funds (SOF) is the number-one reason for I-526E RFEs. Here are the five mistakes we see most often, from incomplete gift chains to timelines that do not add up.
Gifted Funds: Making a Parental Gift Petition-Proof
Parental gifts are among the most common EB-5 fund sources and a frequent cause of RFEs. This article covers what a gift deed should contain, why the donor's own source of funds must be traced, tax considerations in qualitative terms, timing, and the situations that most often trigger an RFE.
EB-5 Basics: The Core Concepts in One Read
What EB-5 is, the investment thresholds, TEAs, regional center vs. direct investment, the two-stage I-526E / I-829 process, and the key changes from the 2022 RIA.
Redeployment of EB-5 Capital Explained
When a project repays the NCE before an investor's immigration process is complete, the capital must be redeployed to remain at risk. This guide explains why redeployment happens, the RIA rule allowing redeployment anywhere in the U.S., the at-risk requirement, investor rights, and the questions to ask before investing.
Source-of-Funds Document Checklist by Fund Type
Itemized document checklists for the seven most common EB-5 fund sources (salary, business income and dividends, real estate sales, securities, gifts, inheritance, and loans), plus the two universal requirements of path-of-funds and currency exchange documentation.
Material Change: When Project Changes Affect Your Petition
EB-5 projects change over a multi-year process. This guide explains the concept of material change, why the consequences differ before and after conditional residence, common examples, the rules in USCIS Policy Manual Vol. 6 Part G, and what investors should do when a project changes.
The EB-5 Process Step by Step: From Project Selection to Permanent Residence
An ordered walk through the ten stages of a regional center EB-5 case, from initial assessment, project selection, and source-of-funds preparation through I-526E, the visa stage, conditional residence, I-829, and permanent residence, with the parties and typical documents at each step.
Responding to an RFE or NOID
The difference between a Request for Evidence and a Notice of Intent to Deny, general rules on deadlines, the most common EB-5 issues (source of funds, job creation, TEA), how to structure a response, and how to work with your attorney.
Exit and Repayment: How EB-5 Capital Comes Back
How EB-5 funds flow from JCE repayment to investor distribution, covering loan maturity and extensions, the effect of the sustainment period, redeployment, repayment before I-829, distribution mechanics, general tax reporting, and common causes of delay.
Spouses and Children: Derivatives and the Child Status Protection Act
Which family members can immigrate with an EB-5 principal, how age-out risk arises, how the CSPA freezes a child's age during I-526E adjudication, the one-year "seek to acquire" rule, and planning options when a child is close to 21, including the child-as-principal strategy.
How to Choose an EB-5 Immigration Attorney
Credentials and EB-5 experience to verify, questions to ask, the conflict of interest when a regional center pays the attorney, common fee structures, red flags, and how to work with counsel who represents only the investor.
I-829: Removing Conditions on Your Green Card
Form I-829 must be filed within the 90 days before the conditional green card's second anniversary. This guide covers the filing window, evidence of sustained investment and job creation, the automatic 48-month extension, interviews, derivatives, and what to do if the project under-performs.
How to Read the Visa Bulletin: A Complete Guide for EB-5
A walkthrough of the Visa Bulletin's Chart A and Chart B, the four EB-5 rows (unreserved, rural, high-unemployment, infrastructure), chargeability, what "C" and "U" mean, how USCIS picks the chart each month, and how it interacts with concurrent filing.
EAD and Advance Parole After Concurrent Filing
When I-485 is filed concurrently with I-526E, investors may also apply for an employment authorization document (I-765) and advance parole (I-131). This guide explains what they are, how to apply, validity, travel cautions, and renewal.
Adjustment of Status vs. Consular Processing
After I-526E approval (or with concurrent filing), an investor obtains the conditional green card either by filing I-485 inside the U.S. or by completing DS-260 processing at a consulate. This guide compares eligibility, pros and cons, timing, travel, family arrangements, and interviews.
EB-5 Glossary (English–Chinese)
More than fifty terms that appear in EB-5 filings, offering documents, and USCIS notices, grouped by topic, each with its Chinese equivalent and a one-line definition for quick reference.
I-526E Petition Checklist and Common Omissions
A module-by-module I-526E checklist covering investor documents, the NCE and project papers supplied by the regional center, the source-of-funds package, translation requirements, filing logistics, and the omissions that most often trigger RFEs.
EB-5 FAQ: 40 Common Questions
Forty questions investors most often ask about EB-5, grouped by basic rules, funds, process, family members, life after the green card, and risk, with concise answers for orientation and self-checking.