The EB-5 immigrant investor program provides a direct path to a U.S. green card for foreign investors. The program is governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(5) and USCIS regulations (8 CFR § 204.6), and applications are processed through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Investors can apply from abroad or adjust their status if they are already in the U.S. To qualify, investors must meet a minimum investment of $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) – a rural or high- unemployment area – or $1.05 million elsewhere, and the investment must create or preserve ten full-time jobs within two years. The investor should also be actively engaged in managing the business, either directly or in a policy-making role. You must also prove that the funds come from a legal source. You can use bank statements, tax returns, and documentation of business transactions. 

If approved, the investor gets a conditional green card for two years. They must then prove job creation and investment compliance to receive permanent residency. The main reasons people are denied include insufficient investment funds, failure to create enough jobs, or inability to prove a lawful source of funds.