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Buy Green Card: Legal Investment Pathways and Costs
- Posted
- Editor
- Tessa Quinn
- 5 min read
Contents
You cannot legally buy a green card. U.S. law has no "green card for sale" product, and paying someone who claims to sell one is a common fraud indicator[1]. The only investment route is the EB-5 visa. For petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022, the minimum investment is $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or infrastructure project[2]. You must also create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs[1]. First step: confirm your investment qualifies under EB-5 rules before paying anyone.
What you receive
- A legal investment route, not a purchase
- You do not receive a green card by paying a fee. Under U.S. immigration law, there is no legal product called a "green card for sale"; a green card can only be obtained through eligibility categories defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act. [1]
- EB-5 immigrant investor classification
- You receive classification under the employment-based fifth preference (EB-5) visa category. USCIS states that EB-5 investors must create or preserve at least 10 full-time positions for qualifying employees. [1]
- Minimum investment thresholds
- For petitions filed on or after March 15, 2022, you must invest at least $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or infrastructure project. [2]
- Reduced amount for targeted areas
- You may qualify for the reduced $800,000 amount if your investment is in a rural area, an area of high unemployment, or an infrastructure project. [3][2]
- Inflation-adjusted amounts
- The minimum investment amounts are scheduled to be adjusted for inflation every five years using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The first adjustment is effective for petitions filed on or after January 1, 2027. [3]
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme: Investment Pathways Comparison
| Investment Pathway | Minimum Investment Amount | Job Creation Requirement | Geographic/Project Restrictions | Future Adjustments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-5 Standard Investment | $1,050,000 (petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022) [2] | Create or preserve at least 10 full-time positions for qualifying employees [1] | No geographic restrictions; any qualifying commercial enterprise in the United States | Adjusted for inflation every five years using CPI-U, first adjustment effective 1 January 2027 [3] |
| EB-5 Targeted Employment Area (TEA) Investment | $800,000 (petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022) [2] | Create or preserve at least 10 full-time positions for qualifying employees [1] | Investment must be in a rural area or an area with high unemployment, as defined at the time of investment [3] | Adjusted for inflation every five years using CPI-U, first adjustment effective 1 January 2027 [3] |
| EB-5 Infrastructure Project Investment | $800,000 (petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022) [2] | Create or preserve at least 10 full-time positions for qualifying employees [1] | Investment must be in a qualifying infrastructure project as defined by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 [2] | Adjusted for inflation every five years using CPI-U, first adjustment effective 1 January 2027 [3] |
| EB-5 Investment (petitions filed before 15 March 2022) | $1,000,000 standard; $500,000 for TEA investments [2] | Create or preserve at least 10 full-time positions for qualifying employees [1] | TEA investments required rural area or high unemployment area designation [2] | Not applicable; these amounts applied only to petitions filed before 15 March 2022 [2] |
How to Get a Green Card Through the EB-5 Investment Route
Confirm you are not paying for a green card directly
Under U.S. immigration law, there is no legal product called a "green card for sale". A green card can only be obtained through eligibility categories defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act. Paying someone who claims to sell one is a common fraud indicator[1].
Decide between the standard and reduced investment amount
For petitions filed on or after March 15, 2022, the standard minimum EB-5 investment is $1,050,000. The reduced amount is $800,000 for investments in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) or an infrastructure project[2]. A TEA is defined at the time of investment as either a rural area or an area that has experienced high unemployment[3].
Check the official USCIS page for current guidance
USCIS continues to maintain current program guidance for immigrant investors. The official EB-5 page was last reviewed and updated on November 18, 2025[3]. Use this page to verify the latest forms, fees, and processing steps before you file.
Risks, Limitations and Guarantees
No one can guarantee you a green card in exchange for payment. U.S. immigration law defines no legal product called a "green card for sale", and paying someone who claims to sell one is a common fraud indicator[1]. The EB-5 route grants you classification under the employment-based fifth preference visa category, not a purchase transaction[1].
Your investment is at risk if the enterprise fails or if you cannot demonstrate job creation. USCIS requires you to create or preserve at least 10 full-time positions for qualifying employees[1]. If you fail to meet this requirement, your petition may be denied and your investment capital may be lost.
Check whether your investment qualifies for the reduced $800,000 amount before you commit funds. A Targeted Employment Area is defined at the time of investment as either a rural area or an area that has experienced high unemployment[3]. The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 expanded the reduced amount to include infrastructure projects[2], but you must verify the designation with official USCIS guidance before filing.
The minimum investment amounts will increase on 1 January 2027 and every five years thereafter, adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U)[3][4]. If you file your petition after that date, you must meet the new threshold. There is no mechanism to "cancel" an EB-5 investment once the capital is deployed; immigration law does not provide refunds if your petition is denied.
Can You Actually Buy a Green Card? What U.S. Law Allows
No. U.S. immigration law contains no provision for purchasing permanent residence directly. The Immigration and Nationality Act defines eligibility categories, and none of them is a cash-for-green-card exchange[1]. Anyone who offers to sell you a green card is describing a transaction that does not exist in law. Paying such a person is a documented fraud indicator, not a shortcut to status[1].
The phrase "buy green card" usually describes one of two situations. The first is a scam: an intermediary claims that a fixed payment will produce a green card without any qualifying family relationship, employment, or investment. The second is a misunderstanding of the EB-5 immigrant investor programme. EB-5 requires a substantial at-risk investment and job creation, not a purchase of status[1]. The distinction matters because the legal route imposes conditions that a simple payment never would.
Consider what EB-5 actually requires before you treat it as a purchase. You must invest at least $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or infrastructure project, for petitions filed on or after 15 March 2022[2]. You must also create or preserve at least 10 full-time positions for qualifying employees[1]. These obligations continue after you file. If the enterprise fails or the jobs do not materialise, your petition may be denied and your capital may be lost. A genuine purchase would not carry these risks.
The legal framework also changes on a fixed schedule. Minimum investment amounts will be adjusted for inflation every five years using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, with the first adjustment effective for petitions filed on or after 1 January 2027[3]. This means the cost of the EB-5 route is not static. If you plan to file after that date, you must check the updated threshold before committing funds.
Before you pay anyone, verify three things. First, confirm that the person or organisation is not claiming to sell a green card directly. Second, check whether your proposed investment meets the EB-5 definition of a qualifying commercial enterprise and job creation plan. Third, review the official USCIS EB-5 page for current guidance, as the agency continues to update programme information[3]. These checks do not guarantee approval, but they help you distinguish the legal investment route from a fraudulent offer.
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