Vietnam
Hong Kong
TaiwanVisas set aside
| Category | Minimum investment | Set aside |
|---|---|---|
| Rural TEA | USD 800,000 | 20% |
| High-unemployment TEA | USD 800,000 | 10% |
| Infrastructure | USD 800,000 | 2% |
| Standard project | USD 1,050,000 | — |
Advantages of rural projects
- 20% of visas set aside, so waits are relatively shorter
- Priority processing
- The same investment as other TEA categories (USD 800,000)
Who do they suit?
| Profile | Value of a rural project |
|---|---|
| Born in mainland China | Generally a shorter wait than the standard category |
| A child close to 21 | A shorter timeline reduces the risk of ageing out |
| Born in Taiwan | Generally no backlog, so any TEA category can be chosen on quality |
What to check in a rural project
- Developer strength: finances and past projects.
- Capital structure: where EB-5 capital ranks and whether it is secured.
- Job calculations: conservative assumptions with a healthy buffer.
- Exit terms: the source and timing of repayment.
Don’t choose on category alone and overlook project quality.
An example
One client narrowed 12 regional center projects down to three for due diligence, chose a rural TEA project, and received a conditional green card in 16 months.