Vietnam
Hong Kong
TaiwanCan I invest borrowed money?
Yes, with conditions. A loan secured by assets you own — for example a bank loan against your home or an investment property — can generally count towards your EB-5 investment.
What you must prove
| Item | Documents |
|---|---|
| The lawful source of the secured asset | Purchase documents and the source of the purchase money |
| The loan | Loan agreement, security documents, drawdown records |
| The transfer path | A complete record from the bank to the project |
Why must it be secured on your own assets?
EB-5 requires the investor to bear the risk. Securing the loan on your own assets means you bear the loss if it can’t be repaid, consistent with the "capital at risk" principle.
When does it suit?
- Most of your wealth is in property you don’t want to sell
- You want to keep cash available, for example for your business
The process
- Confirm the secured property’s source documents are complete
- Apply for the secured loan
- Draw it down to your own account
- Transfer from your account to the project’s designated account
Risks to weigh
- Interest costs throughout the loan
- Repayment: EB-5 capital return timing isn’t guaranteed, so make sure you can repay on schedule
- Rate changes: floating-rate repayments can rise
Assess borrowing with your wealth management team.