Chicago EB-5 Visa Lawyers

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program is unique in comparison to many employment-based immigration pathways. Rather than relying on an employer to sponsor you, you use your capital to create a path to permanent residence on your own terms. A successful EB-5 petition can result in green cards for you, your spouse, and your unmarried children under 21, granting the freedom to live, work, and study anywhere in the United States.

EB-5 visa cases carry real stakes: substantial investment, specific government requirements, and limited room for error. Our team at Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC brings the legal depth and practical experience to manage that complexity with precision. We take time to understand your investment goals, walk you through every requirement in plain terms, and develop a case strategy suited to your specific situation. For over five decades, our attorneys have guided investors, families, and foreign nationals through some of the most consequential immigration decisions of their lives, and we would be honored to help you do the same.

Clients We Serve

Our attorneys work with individuals and families considering the opportunities the EB-5 visa presents, including:

• Individuals with capital who do not want to tie their future to an employer or a qualifying family relationship.
• Investors who want to build or run a U.S. business they take a direct role in, rather than simply placing money into someone else’s project.
• Individuals weighing whether a regional-center project alongside other investors or a standalone investment tied more closely to a business is the right fit for their goals.
• Investors wanting help to properly document how their funds have been earned and transferred.
• Individuals with the resources to invest who want to understand what the process requires and the risks involved before committing.

If you have already filed a petition but have encountered obstacles with your case, or if you are preparing to remove conditions at the end of your first two years on an approved EB-5 green card, we can also provide assistance.

What You Need to Know About the EB-5 Program

The United States government has sought to promote investment by offering the “EB-5” program as a means for foreign nationals to acquire permanent residency in the U.S. The EB-5 program creates a route to permanent residence through qualifying capital investment in a U.S. business that generates jobs for American workers. The structure of your investment, the source of your funds, and how jobs are counted all shape the case.

Capital Requirements

Every EB-5 case is anchored by a qualifying investment in a new commercial enterprise. The required amount varies depending on the location of the project. Investments in targeted employment areas (rural communities or areas with elevated unemployment) often qualify at a reduced threshold. Regardless of the amount, the capital must be genuinely at risk: actively committed to the business with the intent to generate a return, not set aside or guaranteed.

Business Structuring

Investors have the option of either actively managing the business through day-to-day management and policy formulation or obtaining their green cards through passive investment in a Regional Center, which pools resources and invests funds in varied industries such as real estate, hospitality, educational services, health care, manufacturing, and retail trade. Where an investor chooses to actively manage a business, the underlying commercial enterprise can be set up through a broad spectrum of business entities, including a limited partnership, holding company, and wholly-owned subsidiaries of such entities. The entity must be for-profit. 

The Job Creation Standard

Each EB-5 investment must result in the creation or preservation of at least ten full-time positions for qualifying U.S. workers. How those jobs are calculated, and which positions count, can differ significantly depending on the investment structure you choose. The investor must demonstrate that the required ten jobs will be created during the initial two-year conditional residency period granted to the investor. 

Documenting the Source of Funds

Few elements of an EB-5 case receive more scrutiny than the source of the investment capital. You must demonstrate with clear documentation that your funds were legitimately, lawfully acquired and properly transferred. Thorough preparation at this stage typically strengthens your case.

Conditional Residence and the Conditions Removal Process

Approved EB-5 investors initially receive conditional permanent residence, which is valid for two years. As that window closes, you must file to lift those conditions by showing that the investment remained in place and that the required jobs were created. When investors show that they have met the basic requirements for the EB-5 visa, they are granted a full ten-year green card.

What Sets Our Firm Apart?

• Dedicated Entirely to Immigration Law: Immigration is all we do, and all we have done since 1974. 
• Experienced Attorneys: Our team has successfully represented investors in the EB-5 program based on ongoing and new investments.
• Meticulous Preparation: We know how to organize and present the layered financial and legal documentation that EB-5 petitions demand.
• End-to-End Support: We are with you from the first strategic conversation through petition filing, conditional residence, and the removal-of-conditions stage.
• A Reputation You Can Trust: Clients regularly note our team’s commitment, professionalism, and accessibility throughout the process.

Should You Explore the EB-5 Path?

The EB-5 program offers a compelling route to permanent residence. Realizing this opportunity, however, takes careful planning and well-documented preparation. Our attorneys are ready to review your investment profile and goals, explain your available options, and help you build the strongest possible case.

Call Kriezelman Burton & Associates, LLC today at 312-332-2550 or schedule your consultation online to take the first step toward a future built on your own terms.

FAQs About EB-5 Visas