The reduced $800,000 amount applies only to a targeted employment area or an infrastructure project; otherwise the standard $1,050,000 applies. Confirm the project's designation and the current figures on the USCIS page before investing, as the amounts are subject to adjustment.
The project's designation decides the amount
Hypothetical example: the couple is offered two options: a manufacturing project in a rural area and an urban office development. The reduced amount of $800,000 is available only where the new commercial enterprise is in a targeted employment area, meaning a rural area or an area of high unemployment as designated under the Reform and Integrity Act, or is an infrastructure project. The urban project may require the standard $1,050,000 unless it qualifies. Ask each sponsor for the designation evidence and the date it was made, and check the current thresholds on the USCIS site, because the statute provides for periodic adjustment. The amount is only one requirement: the investment must create at least ten full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers, the funds must come from a lawful source through a documented path, and the couple must engage in management or policy formulation. The result is two-year conditional residence, with Form I-829 filed in the 90 days before the second anniversary.
Hypothetical example: a specialty maple-equipment manufacturer proposes that one investor's capital will fund a new production line. The first review should identify the qualifying enterprise, the capital amount and structure, the risk terms, and the job model showing the required full-time positions for qualifying U.S. workers. Purchase orders and a business plan do not by themselves prove jobs; payroll assumptions, construction milestones, and hiring roles need to fit together. The investor must also document the lawful source and movement of the capital. Decide whether the plan can support the employment requirement before funds are irreversibly transferred. Conditional residence does not end the inquiry, because later evidence must demonstrate the sustained investment and job result.