For international investors dreaming of permanent U.S. residency, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program offers a promising pathway—but navigating its complex landscape, which includes EB-5 visa annual limits, requires more than just capital.
Imagine investing substantial funds in a U.S. project, only to discover that your country's immigration quota could dramatically impact your timeline for obtaining a green card. Each year, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implements intricate EB-5 annual limits and country-specific caps that can significantly affect your immigration journey.
These regulations aren't just bureaucratic footnotes; they're critical strategic considerations that can mean the difference between immediate progress and years of unexpected waiting. Read on to learn what you need to know about navigating these restrictions.
Conventional wisdom states that the EB5 visa country cap is calculated within each preference category, not across all preference categories.
Conventional EB-5 wisdom on country caps is wrong.
A US Federal Register announcement dated March 28, 2023, dramatically transformed how EB-5 visa annual limits are calculated. This update represents a significant change in understanding EB-5 country limits, offering new perspectives for investors navigating the complex immigration landscape.
Since April 2023, the latest news on EB-5 visa calculations reveals a comprehensive approach to annual limits:
This approach means immigrants from a particular country are not subject to EB-5 country limits until applications across ALL preference categories reach 7% of the total available visas.
The USCIS annual limits are governed by a nuanced 7% country cap mechanism designed to prevent any single country from dominating immigration allocations. Here are the three basic things you need to know to understand how the limits are governed:
Four countries have reached the critical 7% cap across family-based and employment-based visas, they are China, India, Mexico and the Philippines.
For China and India, this means significant waiting periods and strategic investment planning. Mexico and the Philippines experience minimal practical impact due to lower EB-5 application volumes.
Investors from countries outside of China and India enjoy significant advantages in navigating EB-5 annual limits. These investors face fewer restrictions, with greater flexibility in project selection and potentially faster processing times under current USCIS regulations.
Conversely, investors from China and India encounter more complex EB-5 country limits. These nations experience heightened scrutiny and longer waiting periods, requiring more sophisticated immigration and investment strategies to navigate the annual visa constraints.
Further, the EB-5 country limits are treated separately for the unreserved EB-5 category and each of the reserved categories (rural, high unemployment, and infrastructure). To understand current backlogs for the reserved categories, and any recent changes, pay close attention to the monthly visa bulletin put out by the Department of State.
Understanding the EB-5 annual limit is crucial for successful immigration planning. Targeted Employment Areas (TEAs, both rural and high unemployment areas) offer a strategic approach to managing visa allocations, providing:
Proactive planning becomes essential in managing USCIS annual limits. Investors should consult EB-5 immigration experts to help develop comprehensive long-term strategies and understand intricate priority date implications.
While USCIS annual limits and country caps are critical, they should not be the sole focus of your EB-5 investment strategy. Be sure to consider project quality, job creation potential, long-term investment objectives and your own personal and family immigration goals.
The EB-5 visa landscape continues to evolve, with recent USCIS updates providing new opportunities and challenges. By understanding the nuanced approach to annual limits and country caps, investors can make informed decisions that align with their immigration and investment aspirations.
Ready to navigate the complexities of EB-5 visa annual limits? Contact Peachtree Group today for a personalized consultation.
Peachtree Group is an investment firm driving growth with a diverse portfolio of commercial real estate assets and other ventures, with a specialty in hospitality. We’ve executed hundreds of investments since inception with a focus on real estate acquisition, development, and lending. Today, we manage billions in equity, augmented by services designed to protect, support, and grow your investment.
Peachtree Group has an EB-5 visa by investment program which allows foreign nationals the opportunity to attain permanent residency in the United States. The EB-5 visa program allows you to invest in job creating projects in the U.S. creating a path to a green card for you and your family. The minimum investment is $1,050,000. However, investment in Targeted Employment Areas reduces the minimum cost to $800,000. Learn more about the EB-5 visa by investment program.
ATLANTA – Peachtree Group (Peachtree) has received its I-956F approval from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the government agency that oversees the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, for The Scoundrel, a Tribute Portfolio by Marriott hotel currently under construction in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
The I-956F approval marks a crucial step in Peachtree’s ongoing efforts to facilitate investment opportunities through the EB-5 program, which is designed to promote economic growth and job creation in the United States.
“Receiving USCIS approval for The Scoundrel represents another key milestone for our EB-5 platform,” said Adam Greene, executive vice president of EB-5 at Peachtree. “It reflects our commitment to structuring investments that create meaningful economic impact, support job growth and deliver lasting value for our investors and the communities we serve.”
Peachtree engaged an independent third-party to conduct a jobs study, which determined the development is expected to create 842 eligible jobs for EB-5 purposes, 1.68 times the 500 jobs required under the estimated investment amount, under scoring the project’s significant economic contribution to the region.
“Peachtree’s participation in the EB-5 program underscores our entrepreneurial grit and commitment to advancing initiatives that create a flywheel effect across our lending platform,” said Greg Friedman, managing principal and CEO of Peachtree. “We’ve helped institutionalize these investments within a program that drives economic growth and expands opportunities for meaningful, job-creating immigration.”
Peachtree originated $40 million in floating-rate construction financing over a four-year term for the development of The Scoundrel. The 133-room hotel will be ideally situated on one of Gatlinburg’s main commercial corridors, adjacent to the Gatlinburg Convention Center and steps from premier dining, shopping and entertainment. Located on the northwestern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States, the property offers convenient access to a region that attracts millions of visitors each year.
The hotel is expected to be completed by mid-2027.
This is the fourth hotel development for which Peachtree has received I-956F approval,having previously secured it for its SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Bryce Canyon, Utah; Home2 Suites by Hilton in Boone, N.C.; and TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Palmdale, Calif. Peachtree also received I-956F approval for its loan for the construction of a multi-family apartment project in Bradenton, Fla.
“With its proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg is one of the most supply-constrained markets in the country,” said Greene. “High barriers to entry, including strict height and density limits and scarce developable land, make new construction rare. That dynamic, combined with sustained demand from millions of annual visitors, positions well-located, newly built hotels to significantly outperform the broader market.”
Peachtree launched its EB-5 program in 2023 as a key financing tool to support job-creating projects nationwide. The firm remains committed to delivering high-quality investment and development opportunities through its expanding portfolio of EB-5 projects.
The EB-5 visa program allows foreign investors to obtain a green card in exchange for making a significant investment in a new commercial enterprise that creates jobs in the United States. Under the program, foreign nationals who invest a minimum of $800,000 in a U.S.-based project that creates or preserves at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers are eligible to apply for permanent residency.
At a recent panel discussion at the IIUSA East Asia Conference titled “The Impact of President Trump’s Immigration Policies on the EB-5 Regional Center Program,” Adam Greene, Executive Vice President of EB-5 at Peachtree Group, offered a clear and reassuring perspective for investors and industry professionals navigating the evolving U.S. immigration environment.
Greene, who also serves as Secretary and Treasurer of IIUSA, began by emphasizing Peachtree’s track record as a leading private equity real estate firm with a history of over $12 billion in transactions and 800 investments across the U.S. He noted that Peachtree entered the EB-5 market to bring institutional discipline, transparency, and security to investors—focusing exclusively on senior secured debt positions that prioritize capital protection while driving U.S. job creation.
Discussing the Trump Administration’s new “Gold Card” program, Greene reminded the audience that it remains an idea, not an implemented program. “The Gold Card doesn’t exist today,” he said, explaining that even if enacted, it would need to operate within the framework of existing U.S. immigration laws. Importantly for EB-5, those laws require investment in a for-profit enterprise that creates American jobs—making it unlikely the Gold Card could directly substitute or compete with EB-5. “EB-5 exists today and is backed by established law,” Greene added. “The Gold Card does not.”
Greene positioned EB-5 as the form of legal immigration that fits squarely within the Trump Administration’s priorities. “EB-5 is exactly the kind of immigration that makes sense in the ‘America First’ world—it’s legal, it’s job-creating, and it’s self-funding,” he explained. With the perception that illegal immigration is increasingly under control, he said the political focus is turning toward immigration that strengthens the U.S. economy.
He also highlighted IIUSA’s ongoing advocacy in Washington, D.C., which has helped lawmakers better understand EB-5’s impact on American job creation and development. “When we meet with congressional offices now, they no longer ask, ‘What is EB-5?’” Greene said. “They know it’s a program that works and creates results.”
In closing, Greene urged agents and investors alike to focus on working with credible partners who combine experience with integrity. “Track record matters,” he said. “What ultimately protects investors are good people and sound structures.”
As immigration policy evolves, Greene’s message was consistent and confident: EB-5 remains a proven, law-backed path to U.S. residency that continues to deliver value for investors and communities alike.
The new Trump Gold Card program was implemented by White House Executive Order (the ”EO”) on Friday, September 19, and further publicized on the Trump Card website (www.trumpcard.gov) after several months of preparation.
The Gold program offers a pathway to U.S. residency distinct from the EB-5 visa. Instead of requiring investment in a job-creating project which applicants can receive back within a few years, individuals can qualify by making a $1 million contribution (or $2 million if sponsored by a company), which they never get back.
Unlike EB-5, which is tied to new job creation and regional center investments, the Gold Card is tied to existing EB-1 or EB-2 categories, which also have quota limits like EB-5, and have existing backlogs. The Gold Card does not provide favorable tax treatment, and applicants must pay an additional processing fee and undergo extra vetting. It is also unclear whether derivative family members are included under a single $1 million contribution or if each must contribute separately.
The bottom line: people considering immigrating to the U.S. based on the EB-5 immigrant investor visa should apply now.
Trump's executive order requires the government to implement the Gold Card within 90 days of publication, so by December 18, 2025. While the EO includes an obscure mention that the government will “Consider expanding the Gold Card program to visa applicants under EB-5", it remains unclear how this could happen by executive order rather than by passage of legislation by Congress. Current law provides that any EB-5 petitioner submitting their petition before September 30, 2026 will be adjudicated under existing rules.
The most conservative approach for those considering EB-5 would be to apply before the December 18, 2025 deadline for Gold Card implementation.
The Trump Card website also refers to a Platinum card as “coming soon”, which would require a $5 million contribution, and offer recipients exemption from US income taxes on non-U.S. income and allow recipients to spend up to 270 days in the US. Note that the Platinum Card has not yet been implemented.
If you are considering the EB-5 immigration by investment visa, Contact Peachtree Group to learn more about the process.
