An EB-5 business plan has to convince USCIS that your project is real, credible and able to create at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying U.S. workers for each investor. GERC writes EB-5 business plans to the Matter of Ho standard, and because we are economists, we prepare the job-creation analysis in-house too. We work alongside your immigration attorney.
What an EB-5 business plan must show
USCIS judges EB-5 business plans against Matter of Ho, a 1998 precedent decision that calls for a comprehensive and credible plan. In practice, the officer needs to see:
- The business, its products or services, and its objectives
- A market analysis covering the target market, competitors and pricing
- The marketing and sales strategy
- The organizational structure and the experience of the people running it
- Staffing needs, job descriptions and a timetable for hiring
- Sales, cost and income projections, with the basis for each
- The permits and licenses the business needs, and a timeline for the project
Job-creation analysis, done by economists
A direct EB-5 investment counts the full-time employees on the new business’s own payroll. A regional center project can also count indirect and induced jobs, but those have to be supported by a reasonable economic methodology. We build that analysis with an accepted input-output model, such as RIMS II or IMPLAN, and document every assumption so your attorney can defend it.
It is the same modeling behind the economic impact studies we prepare for cities, public agencies and developers, so your business plan and your job numbers come from one team and match.
What’s in our EB-5 business plans
- An executive summary written for the adjudicating officer
- Company, project and investor overview
- Industry and local market analysis with cited sources
- Competitor analysis and marketing strategy
- Organizational chart, job descriptions and a hiring timetable
- Five-year financial projections: profit and loss, cash flow and break-even
- Use of funds and a timeline for deploying the investment
- Job-creation analysis, quoted separately (see pricing)
- Risk factors and how the business manages them
How we work with your immigration attorney
We deliver on your attorney’s timeline and revise until your attorney is satisfied. For regional centers and developers, we can prepare the project business plan and the job-creation analysis together, so the numbers match across the whole filing.
EB-5 feasibility studies and market analysis
Many EB-5 projects need more than a business plan. Regional centers, developers and immigration attorneys often ask for an independent EB-5 feasibility study showing that the project’s market, costs, revenue and risks hold up. GERC’s economists write EB-5 feasibility studies alongside the business plan or as a stand-alone report, so the numbers in every document match.
What our EB-5 feasibility studies cover:
- Market demand, competition and location analysis
- Development and operating cost review
- Revenue and cash-flow projections under several scenarios
- Risk factors and sensitivity analysis
- Consistency with the business plan and the job-creation model
We work with EB-5 investors, developers and regional centers worldwide, including investors from China, India, Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam, and offer Mandarin-speaking support for calls and meetings. Learn more about our feasibility study services.
EB-5 business plan price
EB-5 business plans start at $9,500. The job-creation analysis is quoted separately, because project size and structure vary widely. We give you a fixed price after a short call. See all of our business plan writing services.
Who writes your EB-5 business plan
GERC (Global Economic Research Consulting) is led by Dr. Shirley Ayangbah, who holds a PhD in International Economic and Financial Law and an MA in Economics. Our economists and researchers also prepare feasibility studies, market analysis and economic impact studies for public agencies and developers.
EB-5 business plan FAQ
How much does an EB-5 business plan cost?
Our EB-5 business plans start at $9,500. The job-creation analysis is quoted separately after we review the project.
What is a Matter of Ho business plan?
Matter of Ho is the 1998 precedent decision USCIS uses to judge EB-5 business plans. It calls for a comprehensive, credible plan that covers the market, staffing and hiring timetable, financial projections and permits, in enough detail for an officer to believe the business can create the required jobs.
Do you prepare the job-creation analysis?
Yes. We are economists, so we prepare it in-house with an accepted input-output model and explain every assumption.
Do you help if USCIS issues a Request for Evidence (RFE)?
Yes. If an officer asks questions about the business plan we wrote, we help you and your attorney answer them at no extra charge. New research or a new plan is quoted separately.
Do you work with regional centers and developers?
Yes. We prepare project business plans and job-creation analysis for regional center projects, working with the project’s attorneys.
How long does an EB-5 business plan take?
We agree on a delivery date with you and your attorney before work starts. Rush timelines can often be arranged.
Other visa business plans
We also write E-2 visa business plans, L-1A new office plans and EB-2 NIW plans. See all of our business plan writing services.