The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, established in 1990, has undergone significant changes with the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA). Understanding this law is crucial for potential investors as it includes insight into how the United States government will handle increases in the minimum EB5 investment amount moving forward. Increases are expected to take effect in January 2027, less than two and a half years from now.
Historically, the required EB5minimum investment was $1 million for non-targeted employment areas and $500,000 for projects in targeted employment areas (TEAs), regions characterized by high unemployment or rural status. The Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 raised these thresholds significantly to reflect economic changes since the program's inception. The new minimum EB 5visa investment amount requirement is now $1,050,000, reduced to $800,000 for TEAS] and qualifying infrastructure projects.
A notable requirement in the RIA law mandates automatic adjustments of the investment thresholds every five years, beginning January 1, 2027. These adjustments will be based on the cumulative annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This ensures that the investment amounts remain aligned with inflation and economic conditions, preventing another extended period without adjustment.
Using CPI data from January 1, 2022, through July 31, 2024, we can understand the impact of inflation on the investment thresholds. As of July 31, 2024, the CPI-U index was recorded at 314.340, reflecting a 12.75% cumulative change since December2021 when it was 278.802. This real-time data provides valuable insights into how inflation influences the EB-5 investment requirements.
The increased thresholds and automatic adjustments reflect public policy choices by Congress to ensure the EB-5 program remains practical and reflects current economic conditions. This means a higher initial investment. Understanding the automatic adjustment helps investors plan their finances better, knowing that the requirements will evolve with inflation.
The changes brought by the RIA mark a significant shift in the investment landscape for prospective EB-5 investors. The program aims to remain relevant and economically viable by incorporating automatic adjustments based on inflation. Investors should stay informed about these changes and consider potential future increases in their planning.
So what will increases look like? According to the Peachtree Group EB-5 team’s conservative calculations, in January 2027, we expect the lowest investment threshold will increase from $800,000 to between $900,000 to $975,000. Here’s how we came to this conclusion.
To set a baseline, the Peachtree Group team reviewed the relevant CPI index numbers from Dec. 21, 2021 to August 14, 2024, and projected future CPI increases based the Federal Reserve’s target inflation rate of 2% per year to demonstrate the projected CPI number (blue line).
Using this data the team created lines for the project amount of the targeted employment area amount and reviewed three scenarios:
Under the latest inflation rate reported for July 2024 (1.4% per year), the investment threshold as of January 1, 2027 would increase to $900,000. (yellow line)
If inflation settles at the Federal Reserve’s target of 2% per year from today, the investment threshold would be $900,000 as of January 1, 2027 (green line)
If inflation continues at the cumulative average rate since the reference date of January 1, 2022(4.9% per year), the investment threshold as of January 1, 2027 would increase to $975,000 (red line)
Using the law and statistics and extrapolation to 2027, we reach our conclusion that we expect as of January 2027, the lowest investment threshold will increase to between $900,000 to $975,000.
What Can You Do Now?
No one can be certain of what the future holds, even when hypothesizing based on historical data. However, what we do know is there will be automatic adjustments to the minimum EB5 investment amount per the RIA and those adjustments are expected to take effect in January 2027, less than 2.5 years from today.
To lock in the lower EB5 investment amount, it is important to get the process started. Peachtree Group is an integrated investment management firm specializing in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in dislocated markets, anchored by commercial real estate. Today, we manage billions in capital across acquisitions, development, and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support, and grow our investments.
Our EB-5 Team has more than30 years combined experience in EB-5 investments managing over $2 billion in EB-5 transactions. Learn about the Peachtree Advantage and let us help you navigate the difficult EB-5 process before investment amounts rise.
Here’s how you can begin your journey to U.S. residency with an EB-5 investment.
Start by visiting our website where you can learn more about our specific EB-5 investment opportunities.
We designed our site to be user-friendly and simple.
Take a moment to fill out the contact form on our website.
When we’ve got your information, one of our investor relations managers will reach out to you.
Many foreign investors have considered investing overseas to achieve portfolio diversification. Investing in US commercial real estate funds can be a particularly attractive option. In addition to shifting some assets to stable, US dollar-denominated assets, a portfolio of commercial real estate assets should provide less volatile returns than a single residential home or single asset commercial real estate transactions.
Investing in commercial real estate debt involves providing loans to property owners or developers. This strategy brings forth several key benefits:
The Appeal of Equity Investments involves owning a stake in the property itself. Here are the notable advantages of equity investments:
A savvy investor can further optimize their portfolio by diversifying across both debt and equity investments in commercial real estate. This hybrid approach balances stable income from debt investments with the potential for higher returns from equity investments. It is particularly appealing in times of economic uncertainty, providing a hedge against market volatility and multiple avenues for wealth generation.
Private equity real estate funds in the United States provide an opportunity for investors to diversify in two ways. First, by diversifying away from ordinary, publicly traded debt and equity securities, investors can earn returns that are uncorrelated to the broader stock market. Second, by investing in a fund with professional management, investors can earn returns that are less volatile than single asset investing while benefiting from the expertise and experience of the management team.
When looking to invest with a fund manager, consider the track record of the fund as a whole, and the experience of the individual executives on the team. In your due diligence, understand the investment process of the manager: how do they identify, underwrite, close, and administer individual transactions? Do they have a meaningful focus based on their experience? Have they established a successful track record?
Answering these questions will get you on the path to finding a reputable fund manager motivated to protect and grow your investment. It’s not easy to invest overseas, but with the right knowledge and partner, it can be a very rewarding experience.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is an investment firm driving growth with a diverse portfolio of commercial real estate assets and other ventures, with a specialty in hospitality. We’ve executed hundreds of investments since inception with a focus on real estate acquisition, development, and lending. Today, we manage billions in equity, augmented by services designed to protect, support, and grow your investment.
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program’s intent is to stimulate economic growth and job creation in the United States by attracting foreign investment into various regions within the United States that are in need of economic stimulus and job creation.
To be eligible for permanent residency via the EB-5 Program, a foreign investor must invest a minimum of $1,050,000. This minimum investment can be reduced to $800,000 should the foreign investor invest in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA).
In this article we will:
A TEA is a designation created by the U.S. Congress and enforced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to attract investment in areas that experience high unemployment rates or in rural areas. Therefore, there are two types of TEAs; Rural Areas and High Unemployment Areas. TEAs must have at least an unemployment rate of 150% of the national average.
The EB-5 Reform an Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA) brought forward visa set-aside categories or also known as reserved visas. There is a set aside of 32% of all EB-5 Visas. It created an annual set-aside of 10% of all the EB-5 visas for investments made in high-unemployment TEAs and an annual set-aside of 20% of all the EB-5 visas for investments made in rural TEAs. These set-asides offer post-RIA investors a potentially immediately available visa upon I-526Eapproval, even if they are from a backlogged country and offer an investment minimum of $800,000.
For an area to qualify as a high-unemployment TEA, an area must have an unemployment rate of at least 150% of the national U.S. average unemployment rate.
High-unemployment TEAs can now only include the census tract of the investment project and directly adjacent census tracts. This new definition was established by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA). TEA designations are granted by The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. High-unemployment designation is valid for two years and can be renewed in two-year increments.
The set-asides offer post-RIA investors a potentially immediately available visa upon I-526E or I-526 approval, even if they are from a backlogged country.
A Rural TEA is an area that is outside of a metropolitan statistical area and beyond the outer boundary of a city or town with a population of 20,000 inhabitants or more. Rural TEAs encourage EB5 rural investment in rural areas that have a need for economic development and job creation.
Rural EB-5 petitioners are eligible for priority processing, although the exact timeline for processing is not yet defined by USCIS. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 established an annual set-aside of 20% of all EB-5 visas for investments made in rural TEAs. This set-aside offers post-RIA investors a potentially immediately available visa upon I-526Eapproval, even if they are from a backlogged country. Additionally, rural EB-5petitions may receive priority processing, which is an average of a 12-monthprocessing time.
A targeted employment area list can be found by using a TEA mapping tool. Invest in the USA (IIUSA), the EB-5 industry’s trade organization provides an interactive TEA mapping tool found here: https://iiusa.org/resources-data/targeted-employment-areas/. One can access the TEA map and review in-depth data about each census track. The map is updated annually with labor data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics by county.
The EB-5 investment amount in a Rural or High Unemployment Area TEA or Infrastructure project is reduced to $800,000 from $1,050,000 based on geographic and unemployment data issued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In addition to targeted employment areas, infrastructure projects also have a visa set-aside of 2% of the total EB-5 visas, and they are treated similarly to TEA EB5 projects in terms of the required investment amount.
The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 defines between "targeted employment areas” and “infrastructure” projects; however, infrastructure projects are treated similarly to TEA projects as they have the same investment amount of $800,000 and also have a visa set-aside of 2% of the total EB-5 visas.
Peachtree Group projects are in Targeted Employment Areas. Current projects include:
Here’s how you can begin your journey to U.S. residency with an EB-5 investment, guided every step of the way by Peachtree Group's expertise and dedication to simplicity, transparency, and success. Learn more about The Peachtree Advantage.
Start by visiting our website where you can learn more about our specific EB-5 investment opportunities.
We designed our site to be user-friendly and simple.
Take a moment to fill out the contact form on our website.
When we’ve got your information, one of our investor relations managers will reach out to you.
Many foreign investors have considered investing overseas to achieve portfolio diversification. Investing in US commercial real estate funds can be a particularly attractive option. In addition to shifting some assets to stable, US dollar-denominated assets, a portfolio of commercial real estate assets should provide less volatile returns than a single residential home or single asset commercial real estate transactions.
Investing in commercial real estate debt involves providing loans to property owners or developers. This strategy brings forth several key benefits:
The Appeal of Equity Investments involves owning a stake in the property itself. Here are the notable advantages of equity investments:
A savvy investor can further optimize their portfolio by diversifying across both debt and equity investments in commercial real estate. This hybrid approach balances stable income from debt investments with the potential for higher returns from equity investments. It is particularly appealing in times of economic uncertainty, providing a hedge against market volatility and multiple avenues for wealth generation.
Private equity real estate funds in the United States provide an opportunity for investors to diversify in two ways. First, by diversifying away from ordinary, publicly traded debt and equity securities, investors can earn returns that are uncorrelated to the broader stock market. Second, by investing in a fund with professional management, investors can earn returns that are less volatile than single asset investing while benefiting from the expertise and experience of the management team.
When looking to invest with a fund manager, consider the track record of the fund as a whole, and the experience of the individual executives on the team. In your due diligence, understand the investment process of the manager: how do they identify, underwrite, close, and administer individual transactions? Do they have a meaningful focus based on their experience? Have they established a successful track record?
Answering these questions will get you on the path to finding a reputable fund manager motivated to protect and grow your investment. It’s not easy to invest overseas, but with the right knowledge and partner, it can be a very rewarding experience.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is an investment firm driving growth with a diverse portfolio of commercial real estate assets and other ventures, with a specialty in hospitality. We’ve executed hundreds of investments since inception with a focus on real estate acquisition, development, and lending. Today, we manage billions in equity, augmented by services designed to protect, support, and grow your investment.
