EB-5 Visa Business Plan: Complete Guide to USCIS Requirements
The EB-5 Visa forms part of an immigrant investor programme encouraging foreign entrepreneurs to establish and invest in businesses in the US.
Receiving the EB-5 Visa entitles you to become a permanent resident of the US and is contingent on the size of your investment and the number of jobs your new commercial enterprise can create.
Your business plan forms an integral part of your petition and can determine the outcome of your application; the USCIS requires a detailed business plan to show how your business complies with EB-5 rules. A well-written, clear, and persuasive business plan enables you to demonstrate your eligibility for the EB-5 Visa by detailing your minimum investment of $800,000 or $1,050,000 and how your business will be able to generate and support jobs for 10 new US workers.
Oxbridge Content is a leading EB-5 Visa business plan writing service, staffed by Oxbridge and Ivy League graduate writers with extensive experience crafting, clear, concise, and convincing business plans that are USCIS compliant. Using a trusted immigration business plan writing service like Oxbridge Content can give your petition the best chance of success and help you secure your EB-5 visa with confidence.
What is the EB-5 Visa?
Successfully securing your EB-5 visa entitles you to a 'green card' or permanent residence in the US. Meeting the criteria for the EB-5 visa requires a substantial investment in a US business.
Recent changes in 2022 have altered the minimum investment to $800,000 in certain areas know as Targeted Employment Areas. However, generally, the minimum required investment to qualify for the EB-5 visa remains $1,050,000.
Additionally, you must demonstrate that your new commercial enterprise will be able to generate or maintain full-time roles for 10 employees. Your business plan is central to outlining how your business meets these conditions and plays a decisive role in convincing USCIS officials to grant your petition.
Why the Business Plan is Critical for the EB-5 Visa
The USCIS requires that every EB-5 petition includes a detailed business plan. Your business plan must also comply with the Matter of Ho precedent, which outlines the criteria you must meet in order to secure you EB-5 visa. This includes the following:
You have partaken in meaningful concrete business activity
You are the legal owner of the invested capital
Your capital has been acquired through legal means
Your business will be able to support a minimum of 10 full-time employees
Your business plan is your primary means of illustrating how you meet the criteria, and the Matter of Ho dictates that it needs to be comprehensive, detailed, and credible, in order to effectively convince USCIS officials to approve your petition. Weak, poorly-written, or unsupported plans are simply not enough to secure your EB-5 visa. Ensuring that you submit a strong, persuasive, and accurate business plan by using an experienced writer from Oxbridge Content can give you the best chance of success in securing a positive outcome for your petition.
EB-5 Business Plan Requirements (Matter of Ho)
Your business plan is not only required by the USCIS but must also be comprehensive, detailed, and credible in order to meet the criteria outlined in the Matter of Ho. To ensure that your business plan contains all the necessary information to secure your EB-5 visa, you should make sure to include the following:
Business Description
Providing a company overview, which includes what industry your business is in and the products or services you provide, enables the immigration official to get a general understanding of your business and whether it is suitable for the proposed investment and job creation. Your business description should be clear and concise so that it is easy for the USCIS official to get a quick and accurate understanding of your new commercial enterprise.
Market Analysis
It is important to include accurate market analysis to demonstrate the demand that your business meets, show your understanding of its competitors, and outline how your business sits within growth trends. Your market analysis should clearly demonstrate how your business will grow in order to support 10 full-time employees as this is an integral criteria for the EB-5 visa.
Organisational Structure
Detailing your organisational structure should include information about your business's ownership, management team, and varying roles. It should be comprehensive in order to demonstrate to the USCIS official how your minimum of 10 new full-time employees will sit in your business structure and whether your business will be able to support them.
Job Creation Plan
It is integral that you provide a detailed description of how you intend to create at least 10 new full-time jobs for US workers. Your information should be credible and accurate, as this is a deciding factor in your eligibility for the EB-5 visa and can play a central role in the outcome of your petition.
Financial Projections
Your financial projections underscore your business' ability to support the required 10 new employees. In light of this, you should include 5-year revenue projections, in which you detail your business's expenses and any profits or losses. Make sure that your projections are accurate to demonstrate the credibility of your business plan.
Capital Investment
Detailing your capital investment is your opportunity to demonstrate both your legal ownership and acquirement of the capital, alongside important information about how the EB-5 funds are invested and also at risk. Include as much detail as possible to reinforce the credibility of your business plan and underscore your business's potential profitability.
Timeline
Outlining exactly when operations and hiring will take place will give the USCIS confidence in your business' ability to support the required minimum of 10 new full-time employees. Providing a detailed breakdown of the timeline also demonstrates your knowledge of your business and its future, which can help persuade an immigration official of your suitability for the EB-5 visa.
What to Include in an EB-5 Business Plan
In order to effectively communicate the necessary information and clearly demonstrate your eligibility for the EB-5 visa, your USCIS EB-5 business plan should include the following key components.
An executive summary enables you to give a clear overview of your business to the immigration official and deepens their understanding of the structure, industry, and products or services your business provides.
If it is relevant, you can also include some background information about yourself as an applicant and investor. This can include your educational background, membership of professional bodies, or any successes you have achieved with your business.
You should provide a detailed description of your business operations in order to underscore the legitimacy of your business and its potential profitability. This not only ensures that you meet the EB-5 business plan requirements but demonstrates your personal understanding of your business.
It is vital when creating an EB-5 Matter of Ho business plan to include a hiring plan, with job titles and dates, in order to detail how the required 10 new full-time employees will sit within your business and the timeline of their hiring process.
You should also include an outline of your marketing strategy to underscore your plan for business growth and profitability.
Providing risk analysis and mitigation underscores the credibility of your business plan by illustrating how you will tackle any problems your business may face.
It is integral that you support any claims made in your business plan with supporting documents. These can include leases, contracts, licences, agreements, and resumes.
Common Mistakes in EB-5 Visa Business Plans
Including all the relevant information in a clear and concise manner in your USCIS EB-5 visa business plan can be difficult. Here are a few common mistakes that petitioners make when crafting their business plans that you should be careful to avoid.
Vague job creation numbers with little to no detail on positions or timelines fail to demonstrate how your business will support 10 new full-time workers and can raise a red flag with USCIS officials.
Unrealistic financial projections undermine the credibility of your business plan and suggest that your business will not be as profitable as expected.
Missing market research suggests a lack of awareness about the US business landscape and how your business will sit alongside competitors and demand.
Copy-past templates instead of a customised business plan lack the detail that the USCIS requires and can result in your petitions being unsuccessful.
Using an experience visa business plan writing service like Oxbridge Content can ensure that you submit a business plan that is clear, concise, and convincing, meeting all the necessary Matter of Ho criteria and giving your petition the best chance of success.
EB-5 Visa Business Plan FAQs
Do I need a business plan for the EB-5 Visa?
Yes – including a business plan with your petition for the EB-5 visa is not only mandatory but also a valuable opportunity to demonstrate your eligibility for the EB-5 visa and how your business meets the Matter of Ho criteria. Your business plan is an integral part of your petition and needs to be comprehensive, detailed, and credible.
What should an EB-5 Visa business plan contain?
Your USCIS EB-5 visa business plan should be as comprehensive as possible, including company details, market analysis, job creation timelines, financial projections, and details about the EB-5 investment. Above all, your business plan should demonstrate how you meet the Matter of Ho criteria for the EB-5 visa.
What is the Matter of Ho requirement?
The Matter of Ho requires that you have partaken in meaningful concrete business activity, you are the legal owner of the invested capital, the capital has been legally acquired, your business can support 10 new full-time US employees, and you provide a comprehensive, detailed, and credible business plan to demonstrate this.
How long should an EB-5 Visa business plan be?
There is no required length for the EB-5 visa business plan; however, it should include all the key information necessary whilst being concise and easy to read. Generally, the length can vary from 25 to 40 pages depending on the complexity of the business.
Can Oxbridge Content write my EB-5 Visa business plan?
Yes – Oxbridge Content specialises in crafting USCIS-compliant EB-5 visa business plans that are clear, concise, and convincing. We have extensive experience creating bespoke business plans for entrepreneurs across a range of industries and we are trusted by US attorneys nationwide.
Why Choose Oxbridge Content for Your EB-5 Visa Business Plan?
Oxbridge Content is one of the leading visa business plan services in the US. Our Oxbridge and Ivy League educated writers have specialist expertise in EB-5 USCIS compliance and Matter of Ho requirements, honed through years of experience crafting clear, concise, and convincing business plans. We pride ourselves on our high-quality research, strong financial knowledge, and understanding of growth strategies, which underpin our detailed, tailored, and persuasive business plans designed to withstand USCIS scrutiny. Contact us today to discuss your EB-5 visa business plan.
A strong, compliant business plan is essential to secure EB-5 visa approval. Your business plan needs to be comprehensive, detailed, and credible, demonstrating your eligibility for the USCIS EB-5 visa business plan and how your business meets the Matter of Ho criteria. Oxbridge Content is the trusted provide of USCIS-compliant EB-5 visa business plans for investors who want to secure their EB-5 visa with confidence. Using our reliable and experienced writers to craft a bespoke business plan for you can give your petition the greatest chance of success. Speak to our EB-5 visa business plan specialists today.