Important Update from EB-5 Reauthorization on April 11th 2022:
Applicants currently in the US on F-1 student visa, OPT, H-1B work visa, L-1A managerial visa can apply for and get Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and Travel Document (TD) in approx. 6-9 months of applying for EB 5. With I-526 petitions, concurrent adjustment of status filings of I-485 fillings are now allowed.
What are EB-5 Visa Requirements for India?
India EB-5 visa requirement
- Requires investor’s investment be US $1.05 M or minimum $800 K in a “TEA”. (Indian rupee 8.0 M or 6.11 M)
- Investment is typically through a USA Regional Center project or in a new business directly.
- It is required to create and maintain 10 full time jobs for a minimum of two years.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allows 10,000 EB-5 visas a year.
EB5 India – Benefits
From just 12,000 in 1960 to more than 2.4 million in 2015, Indians constitute the second-largest immigrant group in the US. Majority of immigrants arriving from India are young professionals holding graduate degrees in STEM or IT fields.
Immigrating to the US for India nationals through the EB-5 program is fast and will help you and your family members (spouses and unmarried children under 21) enjoy the following benefits:
- Assured route to permanent residency as long as you fulfill the minimum investment and job-creation requirements with no risk of political rhetoric or popular opinion impacting your immigration status.
- Complete freedom to travel and reside anywhere within the country.
- Get jobs, including government jobs, or setup one or multiple businesses, or simply lead a retired life without any employment or sponsorship-related restrictions.
- As a permanent resident, your unmarried children can:
- Study in some of the best institutions in the world without facing restrictions imposed on foreign students.
- Pay 150% to 300% lower tuition fee as compared to foreign students.
- Enjoy more funding and scholarship options as compared to foreign students.
- Study as a day scholar and avoid long separation from family just to obtain quality education.
- Explore job opportunities without worrying about issues like work permits, sponsorship, processing delays, expiry of visa, or restrictions on job mobility.
- Your spouse will automatically be granted a green card, which means he or she can live, work, and travel just like any other permanent resident without any spouse-centric legal restrictions.
- Enjoy greater international mobility through the visa-free travel privileges available to US green card holders.
- You can, subject to applicable eligibility requirements, apply for American citizenship and can retain your Indian roots by applying for Overseas Citizen of India status.
EB 5 Visa for Indian citizen
India is one of the fastest growing markets for the EB-5 applicants who are seeking to migrate to the United States for educational, business and career opportunities for themselves, their families and their children.
United States is one of the most desired education destinations for students from the middle east. Following their graduation from middle eastern colleges, many students prefer to gain work experience in the host country, and perhaps become residents. For U.S.- educated international students, the program can be a positive alternative to seeking H-1B visas.
Indian Americans are the most educated population in the United States, with more than 80 percent holding college or advanced degrees, stated a report released June 19, 2012 by the Pew Research Center. Indian Americans also have the highest income levels, earning $65,000 per year with a median household income of $88,000, far higher than the United States household average of 49,000, according to the PEW survey.
If wealthy parents “gift” their children EB-5 funds prior to sending them to college, not only would they pay lower tuition fees as U.S. residents, but the post-graduation visa concerns would be eliminated.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its monetary policy review enhanced the remittance limit under Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) to $250,000 per person per year.
The EB-5 U.S. Immigrant Investor Visa Program is available to India citizens. There is growing demand for the this visa category among Indian citizens from Chandigarh, Punjab, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and many other cities and states in India. EB5 BRICS has regular events throughout India.
If you (or your Child) were born in India then you can apply for Green Card for the United States through the EB 5 USA Investor Visa Program.
Targeted employment area – “TEA” is defined as:
– Rural areas
– Areas with unemployment 1.5x of the national average
Income requirement
Financial criteria for an Indian investor to support a successful business investment:
- A net worth of US $1.05 million – For an individual or a married couple; or
- $200,000 or more in Individual Income, or $300,000 or more joint income, in each of the two previous years; and
- Comparable level of Future income and assets.
Source of Assets, plus any obligations or legal liabilities associated with these assets, play an important role in your EB-5 application.
Indian Investor age requirement
There is no age limit to be an EB-5 investor. However, since a minor probably does not have the assets or income to be eligible as an EB-5 investor on his own, the parents or some other guardian giving him/her the investment amount will need to show the required documents to prove the source of funds.
The only time age matters is if the parent is applying and children are also part of the application as derivatives. They must be under the age of 21 to be included on a parent’s application.
How much does EB 5 Visa Cost for Indian citizens?
EB 5 visa cost – India
Minimum Investment amount is either US $1.05 M or minimum $800 K in a “TEA”. (Indian rupee 8.0 M or 6.11 M) in a TEA, Investor visa admin costs, $3,675 for I-526, $1,140 for I-485 application, $3,750 I-829 fee and Lawyer’s charges. EB5 visa is a path to a USA residency Green card and US Citizenship.
“TEA” is Targeted employment area defined as:
– Rural areas
– Areas with unemployment 1.5x of the national average
How can a Indian citizen get an EB 5 visa in USA?
US Investor Visa Process – India – Step by Step
- Pick an Investment advisor & Immigration attorney.
- Find EB-5 Project that meets EB-5 program requirements.
- Investment of Capital & Filing of I-526 application with USCIS.
- Apply for Adjustment of status (I-485 application) and DS 260 form.
- 2-Year conditional Green card.
- Permanent residency & I-829 petition.
More about Project Selection for Indian nationals – importance of due diligence
EB-5 India – Latest News
As per United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Visa Bulletin from June 2023, there is no backlog and no extra wait-time in the timeline for EB-5 applications from India.
India, EB 5 Visa Consultant
EB5 BRICS can help you navigate U.S. Immigrant Investor Green Card Program through our presence in India in conjunction with our U.S. Legal Partner. Our Team speaks English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi.
Looking for E2 India?
EB5 BRICS
Level 12, Building No. 8
Tower C, DLF Cyber City Phase II
Gurgaon – 122002, Haryana, India
Phone: 0124 4020631
E-mail: info@eb5brics.com
Schedule an Appointment to meet our CEO, Vivek Tandon to go over your specific situation.
See information about other Countries in Asia: Dubai, Singapore
About India
India, officially the Republic of India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world.
Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago. Their long occupation, initially in varying forms of isolation as hunter-gatherers, has made the region highly diverse, second only to Africa in human genetic diversity. Settled life emerged on the subcontinent in the western margins of the Indus river basin 9,000 years ago, evolving gradually into the Indus Valley Civilisation of the third millennium BCE. By 1200 BCE, an archaic form of Sanskrit, an Indo-European language, had diffused into India from the northwest, unfolding as the language of the Rigveda, and recording the dawning of Hinduism in India.
India has been a federal republic since 1950, governed in a democratic parliamentary system. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society. India’s population grew from 361 million in 1951 to 1.211 billion in 2011. During the same time, its nominal per capita income increased from US$64 annually to US$1,498, and its literacy rate from 16.6% to 74%. From being a comparatively destitute country in 1951, India has become a fast-growing major economy and a hub for information technology services, with an expanding middle class.
Source: Wikipedia
India remains one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. Apart from its many religions and sects, India is home to innumerable castes and tribes, as well as to more than a dozen major and hundreds of minor linguistic groups from several language families unrelated to one another.
Contemporary India’s increasing physical prosperity and cultural dynamism—despite continued domestic challenges and economic inequality—are seen in its well-developed infrastructure and a highly diversified industrial base, in its pool of scientific and engineering personnel (one of the largest in the world), in the pace of its agricultural expansion, and in its rich and vibrant cultural exports of music, literature, and cinema.
Though the country’s population remains largely rural, India has three of the most populous and cosmopolitan cities in the world—Mumbai (Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta), and Delhi. Three other Indian cities—Bengaluru (Bangalore), Chennai (Madras), and Hyderabad—are among the world’s fastest-growing high-technology centres, and most of the world’s major information technology and software companies now have offices in India.
Source: Britannica
FAQs for USA Investment Visa for Indians
How many EB 5 visas does the US government issue for India each year?
Currently, there is an annual limit of 10,000 such visas with a per country limit of about 700 visas. Thus there is a limit of 700 EB5 visas per year issued to Indian citizens. This type of visa is increasingly becoming popular with wealthy foreign citizens who want to move to the US. Our Team
Can an international student from India with an F-1 visa apply for EB5 visa?
An EB-5 is certainly available for F-1 visa students from India who are in the US. In fact, EB 5 is the preferred path for students and professionals in the US to gain permanent residency allowing them to work and live anywhere in the US without requiring any employer sponsorship. See more USA Investment Visa
Can someone from India still apply for it in 2023?
Yes, Indian citizens can apply for an EB-5 visa this year. EB 5 continues to be available despite attempts to limit immigration into the US. EB 5 has been specifically excluded from any immigration bans and changes. Meet Vivek Tandon
Can an Indian citizen apply for US Investor Visa while on H1b?
Yes, H1-B visa is a dual intent visa which means Indian citizens can apply for permanent immigration to the US through EB-5 while they are in the USA on a non immigrant visa such as H-1B.