The EB-5 program lets an investor obtain US permanent residence by investing USD 800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (or USD 1,050,000 elsewhere) in a business that creates at least 10 full-time US jobs. EB-5 falls outside the CICC, MARA and IAA registrations of the practitioners Cosmos works with, so Cosmos guides UAE and GCC investors and coordinates each file with regulated US immigration attorneys - we do not act as your US attorney ourselves.
Last updated: July 2026, reviewed against current USCIS and EB-5 Reform & Integrity Act (RIA) guidance. Informational only, not legal advice.
Two statutory dates shape EB-5 planning. The grandfathering window closed on 30 September 2026: regional-center petitions filed on or before that date keep protection under INA section 203(b)(5)(S) if the program later lapses, and later filings do not (as at 21 October 2026). The minimum investment is separately due to adjust with inflation on 1 January 2027, so filing before then can still lock the current amount.
Most EB-5 difficulties are source-of-funds problems, not investment problems. Every dollar must trace to a lawful origin with documentation - salary, business income, property sale, gift, inheritance or, increasingly, digital assets. UAE and GCC investors should expect to evidence the full path of funds across jurisdictions.
"An EB-5 investor must invest the required amount of capital in a new commercial enterprise that will create full-time positions for at least 10 qualifying employees." - USCIS, About the EB-5 Visa Classification, accessed 24 July 2026
Key takeaways
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An honest assessment first - eligibility, source-of-funds readiness, and timing against the January 2027 adjustment. Request an EB-5 eligibility review.
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