Use the actual funds available under the gift and conversion terms. An earlier exchange-rate estimate may differ from the amount available for investment and related costs. As of September 7, 2026, the general EB-5 investment threshold is US$1,050,000, or US$800,000 for a qualifying targeted employment area or infrastructure project. Statutory adjustment begins January 1, 2027. Government, project and professional charges are separate and are not automatically qualifying capital.
Separate currency exposure from required charges
Record completed conversions and estimates still subject to change. Keep qualifying investment, project charges, legal services and government fees distinct, verifying current official amounts. Avoid assuming every transfer charge counts as qualifying capital. Obtain appropriate financial advice on currency risk rather than treating the immigration process as protection against a lower net receipt.
Treat the investment amount, government charges, project administration charges, source-document work, translations, and family processing costs as different categories. The current official fee schedule and the actual project documents should be checked before money moves; no generic total is reliable for every case. Hypothetical example: a recycled-textile manufacturing investor sees a low advertised project charge but has not accounted for currency-transfer costs, document retrieval, or a spouse’s immigrant-visa processing. Make a dated ledger that labels each payment, recipient, refund condition, and source account. The key decision is whether the investor understands which dollars are capital at risk and which dollars are fees or personal expenses. Do not call a project fee invested capital, and do not assume a refundable escrow amount automatically carries the same immigration significance as deployed capital. Preserve receipts and signed terms for future review.