Part 5 of 5 in the EB-5 Economic Impact Webinar Series
After reviewing the data, one thing is clear: the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program works. It delivers jobs, investment, tax revenue, and community development—all without costing U.S. taxpayers a dime.
But what if the program were allowed to operate at full strength?
In the final installment of our blog series onIIUSA’s landmark Economic Impact Study and webinar, we explore the constraints currently holding EB-5 back, the extraordinary potential of an optimized program, and the policy actions needed to get there.
The Bottlenecks Holding EB-5 Back
Despite its strong performance, EB-5 hasn’t come close to realizing its full potential—largely due to structural limitations.
During the webinar, Dr. Jerry Paytas of Fourth Economy summarized three main barriers:
- Visa Caps – The current annual limit of ~10,000 EB-5 visas includes both investors and their family members, drastically reducing the number of actual investors who can participate.
- Processing Delays – Backlogs and inefficiencies at USCIS lead to long wait times and unpredictable adjudications, creating uncertainty for investors and developers alike.
- Lack of Long-Term Reauthorization – Prior to the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA), the program suffered from years of short-term extensions, leading to instability and periodic lapses that disrupted market momentum.
“It’s like we put a 10-mile-per-hour speed limit on a program designed to go 40,” Dr. Paytas said.
A Glimpse Into the Future: What EB-5 Could Deliver
So what happens if we remove the brakes?
Using the same economic modeling platform, Fourth Economy projected what an optimized EB-5 program—free from artificial constraints—could deliver every year:
- 3.1 million U.S. jobs created annually
- $32 billion in annual foreign direct investment
- $27 billion in annual tax revenue
That’s not a one-time surge. That’s what EB-5 could sustainably generate every year if scaled to meet demand.
“These are realistic numbers,” said Paytas. “The fundamentals are already there—EB-5 just needs the room to run.”
What the Industry Needs Now
To unlock this potential, industry leaders say three policy changes are critical:
- Permanent Reauthorization – Provide long-term certainty to the EB-5 Regional Center Program by codifying it as a permanent part of U.S. immigration policy.
- Visa Cap Reform – Modernize the visa allocation formula by excluding family members from the annual cap—or raising the cap altogether—to reflect actual investor demand.
- USCIS Processing Reform – Streamline and improve adjudication timelines to make the program more predictable and accessible.
“We owe it to U.S. communities and international investors to modernize and stabilize the program,” said Christine Chen, COO of CanAm Enterprises.
The Role of Industry Advocacy
The path forward isn’t automatic—it requires coordinated action from stakeholders across the EB-5 ecosystem.
Lee Li, IIUSA’s Director of Policy Research and Data Analytics, called for continued advocacy, data collection, and storytelling:
“We need to show lawmakers that this program delivers—through data, through success stories, and through real-world examples. This study is just the beginning.”
And as Christine Chen emphasized during the webinar, predictability is key:
“When EB-5 is seen as a reliable, long-term tool, it becomes easier to attract high-quality projects, responsible operators, and serious investors. That’s how you ensure the program lives up to its full promise.”
Moving Forward Together
The IIUSA Economic Impact Study offered a rare, data-rich look at how EB-5 capital is already supporting American jobs, infrastructure, and growth. But it also pointed to a larger truth: the real story of EB-5 is still being written.
With the right policy environment—and continued engagement from the EB-5 community—this program can do more than recover. It can thrive.
