Immigrant Investors

A foreign national may qualify as an immigrant investor if he or she has invested or is in the process of investing capital of at least $1 million in a United States enterprise that will create at least 10 jobs. The investment may be as little as $500,000 if the enterprise is located in a targeted employment area meaning a rural or high-unemployment area, where the unemployment rate exceeds the national average unemployment rate by 150%.

The investment may be in cash or any combination of other tangible property such as equipment and inventory. Debt may also qualify if it is secured by the investor and not by the assets of the enterprise. The foreign national must also be involved in oversight of the business.

The immigrant investor receives two-year temporary permanent resident status which may be converted to regular ten-year permanent resident status assuming that the above requirements have been met during the two-year temporary period.