In the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (“RIA”), three important terms are Infrastructure Project, Rural Area, and Targeted Employment Area (“TEA”). Here’s a clear explanation of each:
Infrastructure Project
An infrastructure project refers to a capital investment project administered by a governmental entity, such as a federal, state, or local agency. It typically involves a job-creating entity that works with a new commercial enterprise to receive capital investments from EB-5 investors. These projects are characteristically for improving public infrastructure with the added benefit of creating jobs and helping to stimulate local economic growth.
Rural Area
According to EB-5 regulation, areas that are within the geographic boundaries of a metropolitan statistical area are not eligible for the rural area designation, ensuring that the rural area classification is applied to regions that outside metropolitan zones and truly rural. A Rural Area excludes areas within the boundaries of cities or towns that have a population of 20,000 or more, based on the most recent decennial census. Rural areas are significant in the EB-5 program because they encourage investment into rural areas that often face economic challenges and benefit from investments that create jobs.
Targeted Employment Area
Any Rural or High-unemployment area identified by the Secretary of Homeland Security is considered a Targeted Employment Area. EB-5 Projects located in TEAs are eligible for the lower minimum investment amount of US$800,000 instead of the base investment amount of US$1,050,000. Since TEAs frequently experience greater unemployment rates or other economic difficulties, they are given preference for EB-5 investments. EB-5 investors can qualify for lower investment requirements by investing in a TEA, which makes it a desirable choice for people who want to have a significant influence on areas that are experiencing economic hardship.
This is part of a series on the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022. To read more in this series, click here.