International Students Should Read About These Major EB-5 Visa Advantages

Many of the countries international students originate from are also top EB-5 countries. One of the top reasons foreign investors select the EB-5 Program is to send their children to a US educational institution.

The EB-5 Program gives qualified foreign investors green cards for themselves, their spouses and their unmarried children under the age of 21 years, in exchange for making an investment into a job-creating new commercial enterprise.

International students and interested foreign nationals could benefit from the EB-5 visa in many ways. Take a look at the data below along with a list of all the EB-5 visa benefits that could help students and families interested in a US education.

Top Countries of Origin for International Students, 2018/19:

Rank Top Countries of Origin for International Students, 2018/19 # of
International
Students % of Total  % Changed
over Last Year 1 China 369,548 33.7 1.7 2 India 202,014 18.4 2.9 3 South Korea 52,250 4.8 -4.2 4 Saudi Arabia 37,080 3.4 -16.5 5 Canada 26,122 2.4 0.8 6 Vietnam 24,392 2.2 0.3 7 Taiwan 23,369 2.1 4.1 8 Japan 18,105 1.7 -3.5 9 Brazil 16,059 1.5 9.8 10 Mexico 15,229 1.4 -1.5 11 Nigeria 13,423 1.2 5.8 12 Nepal 13,229 1.2 -0.3

Below are the top EB-5 investor countries of origin along with the number of total applicants by immigrant visas issued and adjustment of status.

Top EB-5 Investor Countries of Origin, FY 2018:

Rank Top 12 EB-5
Countries/Territories Total 1 China Mainland-born 4,642 2 Vietnam 693 3 India 585 4 South Korea 531 5 China Taiwan-born 452 6 Brazil 388 7 Venezuela 237 8 Hong Kong S.A.R. 200 9 Mexico 174 10 Russia 134 11 Nigeria 113 12 Canada 109   Total 8,258

Nine of the countries overlap. A large number of EB-5 investors come from countries where demand for US education is high. It’s one of the United States’ biggest competitive advantages over other top countries with investor visa programs. The three countries of origin for international students with the highest percentage change over the previous year are also 3 of the fasted-growing EB-5 markets (Taiwan, Brazil and Nigeria) to watch.

Eight of the top 10 top global universities are located in the US:

1. Harvard University 2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 3. Stanford University 4. University of California, Berkeley 6. California Institute of Technology 8. Columbia University 9. Princeton University 10. University of Washington

International students could obtain an EB-5 visa in two different ways depending on their age and marital status. Investors under the age of 21 years and who are not married can qualify as dependents on their parent’s principal application form. Older students can apply as a principal applicant. The minimum investment amount for the EB-5 Program is $900,000 in a targeted employment area project. Funds for the investment can come from a variety of sources including, but not limited to, gifts, inheritance, sale of property, income, or loans.

Here’s a closer look at where in particular international students were studying in the US during the 2018/19 year:

Rank University State # of
International
Students in 2018/19 1 New York University NY 19,605 2 University of Southern California CA 16,340 3 Northeastern University, Boston MA 16,075 4 Columbia University NY 15,897 5 University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign IL 13,497 6 Arizona State University, Tempe AZ 13,324 7 University of California, Los Angeles CA 11,942 8 Purdue University, West Lafayette IN 10,943 9 University of California, San Diego CA 10,652 10 Boston University MA 10,598 11 University of California, Berkeley CA 10,063 12 University of Texas, Dallas TX 9,401 13 Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA 9,396 14 University of Washington, Seattle WA 9,311 15 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 9,726 16 Carnegie Mellon University PA 8,669 17 University of California, Irvine CA 8,064 18 University of California, Davis CA 8,048 19 Ohio State University, Columbus OH 8,020 20 Cornell University NY 7,214

Three of the top global universities are also on the list of top US universities hosting international students. With hundreds of thousands of international students studying in the US, it’s important that more foreign nationals know about the advantages the EB-5 visa has over other US visa options. These EB-5 benefits can help students and families before, during and after their studies.

EB-5 Visa (US Green Card) Benefits for Foreign Nationals, Families, and Current International Students Include:

Often having better admission rates than international students at many leading universities Qualifying for reduced in-state tuition at many universities, saving families tens of thousands of dollars Having access to more financial aid and scholarship options Not having work restrictions while attending university Not having restrictions on what fields they can study Not needing an employer sponsor to stay and work in the US upon completion of their studies Ability to live, work, and travel freely through the US Not having to frequently renew their visa Able to apply for US citizenship 5 years after receiving conditional permanent residency (and upon completion of the EB-5 Program requirements)

While these benefits often depend on many factors, for example, some at some universities, the international admission rate may be close to the permanent residency admission rate, a lot of these benefits remain extremely helpful.