Treat borrowing expenses separately from the capital contributed to the enterprise. On September 7, 2026, EB-5 required US$1,050,000 generally or US$800,000 for a qualifying targeted employment area or infrastructure project, with the statutory adjustment beginning January 1, 2027. Interest, government fees, project charges and professional costs do not automatically count as invested capital.
Prepare two linked financial schedules
Show the investment contribution and project charges separately from interest, security costs and repayment obligations. Add current official and professional immigration expenses without double-counting. Obtain appropriate financial advice on affordability and risk. A favorable immigration assessment would not guarantee the investment’s return or remove the loan obligations.
Hypothetical example: A food-processing investor compares two EB-5 offerings but combines the contribution, administrative charge, loan interest, collateral fees, and immigration expenses into one figure. Build separate ledgers for investment capital, project charges, financing obligations, and process costs. The first review should state which amount enters the at-risk investment and which amounts remain private borrowing or transaction expenses. Obtain appropriate financial advice about affordability and repayment; immigration analysis does not make a loan commercially safe. Do not treat a project fee as job-creating capital without examining the offering terms. Verify current government charges close to filing and keep them distinct from professional invoices. The decision is whether the funding plan can be documented and sustained while the qualifying capital and jobs requirements are independently met.
Test the projected cash flow against the repayment schedule as well as the immigration budget. A plan can be documentable yet commercially unaffordable, and the two questions should not be collapsed.