For Families · EB-5
United States residency, planned early.
A second home base for the family, and a head start for the next generation. The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, explained for families who plan in generations.
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
What the Program Is
The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program grants United States permanent residence to investors who make a qualifying investment in a US business that creates American jobs. A single application covers the investor, their spouse, and their unmarried children under 21. No employer sponsorship or job offer is required, and no relative in the United States is needed.
Permanent residence begins on a conditional basis and becomes unconditional once the investment and job creation are shown to have met the program’s requirements. From there, the family holds the right to live, study, and work anywhere in the United States, and becomes eligible in time to apply for citizenship.
The group coordinates the process for families that qualify, working with independent immigration attorneys from first assessment to permanent residence. We are not a law firm, and no EB-5 investment is offered through this website. The specifics of the program, including current thresholds and timing, are discussed in private conversation.
At a Glance
The Program in Six Points
The Investment
A qualifying investment in a US business. The threshold is lower for projects in rural, high-unemployment, or infrastructure categories, and higher elsewhere. Current amounts are discussed in private conversation.
Job Creation
The investment must create a required number of full-time jobs for US workers. This is the program’s public purpose and the basis on which residence is granted.
The Family
One application covers the investor, their spouse, and their unmarried children under 21. Each family member receives their own green card.
Source of Funds
The invested capital must be shown to come from lawful sources. Documenting this is the first substantive piece of work, and the group helps families prepare for it.
Status
A conditional green card first, for two years, then permanent residence once the conditions are shown to be met.
Citizenship
Permanent residents become eligible to apply for US citizenship after five years of permanent residence, subject to the usual requirements.
The Next Generation
What It Means for a Child
Study as a Resident
Apply to and attend US schools and universities as a permanent resident rather than on a student visa. Residents are considered for admission and for financial terms differently from international applicants.
Build a Career Without Sponsorship
Work for any employer, in any field, or start a company after graduation, without depending on employer-sponsored work visas or an annual lottery.
A Permanent Base for the Family
The right to live in the United States indefinitely, to travel freely in and out, and a path to citizenship for the whole family.
For Families Based in the Gulf
A Second Base That Does Not Depend on a Sponsor
Many international families in the Gulf hold residence that is tied to a business, an employer, or a sponsor, and children who grow up there hold no permanent status of their own. A United States green card is different in kind: it belongs to each family member personally, does not depend on employment, and does not expire when circumstances change.
For families whose children attend international schools and are heading to American universities, the sequence matters. A child who arrives as a permanent resident studies, works, and builds a life on a different footing from one who arrives on a student visa and must later find sponsorship.
Visa numbers under the program are allocated by the investor’s country of birth, not by country of residence. For families born in countries with high demand, the choice of investment category and the timing of the filing can make a material difference. This is assessed at the first conversation.
How It Proceeds
From First Conversation to Permanent Residence
Confidential Fit Assessment
The family’s circumstances, objectives, and timing, together with a first review of the source of funds.
Selecting a Qualifying Investment
An investment that meets the program’s requirements, reviewed with independent due diligence. Nothing is selected or offered through this website.
The Petition
The investor petition is prepared and filed by the family’s independent immigration attorney, with the supporting evidence on the investment and the source of funds.
Conditional Residence
Once approved, the family obtains conditional green cards, either through a US consulate or, if already in the United States, from within the country.
Permanent Residence
Near the end of the conditional period, the attorney files to remove the conditions, showing that the investment and job creation have been met. Permanent residence follows, and citizenship becomes available in time.
Timing
Why Timing Matters
The program rewards families who plan early. Four points shape the timetable:
- Children must be under 21 to be included in a parent’s application. Certain protections can preserve a child’s eligibility once a petition is filed, which is one more reason to file early rather than late.
- Visa availability depends on the investor’s country of birth, not country of residence.
- Processing takes time, and the wait varies with the category and the investor’s country of birth. The attorneys give a current estimate at the fit assessment.
- Program terms, including investment thresholds, change periodically.
For families with children in their mid-teens, the timing of the first conversation matters more than any other decision.
Questions Families Ask
Common Questions
Do we have to move to the United States straight away?
Permanent residents are expected to make the United States their home, and long absences can put the status at risk. Many families plan the move around a child’s university start. The attorneys advise on residence obligations and travel for each family’s situation.
Can we keep our business and home abroad?
Yes. Holding a green card does not require giving up businesses or property elsewhere. It does make the holder a United States tax resident, which is why pre-immigration planning belongs at the start of the process, not the end.
Does the whole family have to apply together?
One petition covers the investor, spouse, and unmarried children under 21. Children over 21, and married children, need their own route, which is why the age of the children shapes the timing.
Is the investment returned?
EB-5 capital is invested in a business, and like any investment it carries risk, including loss of capital. Whether and when capital is returned depends on the terms of the particular investment, which are set out in its own offering documents. No investment is offered through this website.
Is approval guaranteed?
No. Petitions are decided by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Careful preparation of the source-of-funds evidence and the choice of a compliant investment are the two things that most affect the outcome, and both are the focus of the early work.
Who does the legal work?
Independent licensed immigration attorneys, who represent the family directly. The group coordinates the process and works alongside them; it is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
Stewardship
Plan Before You Move
A green card makes its holder a United States tax resident, taxed on worldwide income. For families moving from low-tax jurisdictions, pre-immigration planning should begin well before the first filing.
That planning sits with Stewardship: our affiliated firm, Swiss Finance Private Wealth Management, an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, working with relationship tax advisers.
Swiss Finance Private Wealth Management (opens in a new tab)
An American degree opens doors. A green card keeps them open.
The group accepts a limited number of families each year. Every engagement begins with a confidential fit assessment, and all legal filings are handled by independent licensed attorneys.
Important Information
Residency planning is coordinated, not legal advice. The Swiss Finance family of firms is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Immigration legal services are provided by independent licensed attorneys. Petitions are adjudicated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and approval is not guaranteed. EB-5 investments carry risk, including loss of capital. Program terms change periodically. Nothing on this website is an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or investment, and no EB-5 project or investment is offered through this website.
Wealth management and family office services are provided only by Swiss Finance Private Wealth Management LLC under its own agreements. Swiss Finance Private Wealth Management LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration with the SEC does not imply any specific level of skill or training, nor does it constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission. The Preferred Income Strategy is available only to eligible, suitable clients and is subject to the terms, counterparties, and conditions set out in its offering documents, which govern in all cases. Nothing on this website is an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation regarding any security, financial instrument, or investment strategy.
These pages describe services delivered by separate firms within the Swiss Finance family. Swiss Finance itself is an independent capital allocator. It does not provide investment, legal, or tax advice, does not market or distribute investment products, and does not offer services or products in any jurisdiction where doing so would be unlawful or unauthorised. Services depend on each family’s circumstances and eligibility, and not every family is accepted.