Typical timing
Capital is usually returned once the project meets its repayment conditions, around the time the investor completes I-829, under the exit terms in the project documents. It typically takes several years in total; timing depends on the project and is not guaranteed.
Why can’t it be guaranteed?
USCIS requires the investment to be at risk, so projects cannot guarantee the return of capital or a fixed return. That makes the project’s financial position and exit terms the most important considerations.
Reviewing the exit terms
- Source of repayment: how the project will repay investors (for example a property sale or refinancing).
- Capital structure: whether EB-5 capital is secured or repaid first.
- Regional centre track record: whether past projects were fully repaid, with verifiable records.
- Timeline: whether the expected repayment date is realistic.
Common mistakes
- Believing claims of a "guaranteed return of capital".
- Looking only at a project’s size or brand, not its repayment record.
We only recommend projects that pass our written review criteria, and we give clients a summary of our review.