Indian professionals on H-1B visas are increasingly exploring the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program as a pathway to US permanent residency, according to Piyush Gupta, Vice President at CanAm Enterprises, India and Middle East. The investment immigration firm said the shift is being driven by concerns around employer dependency, H-1B lottery uncertainty and the growing use of concurrent filing options.
“The core profile of the Indian EB-5 applicant remains practical and career-focused,” Piyush Gupta told HT.com. The expert added that the applicant pool includes “H-1B visa holders who want to escape employer dependency and secure professional mobility, and students who want to avoid the annual H-1B lottery.”
The expert also noted a rise in parents in India making EB-5 investments for their children’s future. “Increasingly, we see parents in India making this investment on behalf of their children to secure their professional futures,” it said.
Gupta said India now represents around 22% of all EB-5 petitions filed globally, up from nearly 4% five years ago. According to the firm, most applicants come from major metropolitan wealth centers such as Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai, along with Indian expatriates in the Middle East.
Concurrent filing gains popularity among applicants
{{/usCountry}}Concurrent filing gains popularity among applicants
{{/usCountry}}For Indian applicants already living in the US on F-1 or H-1B visas, concurrent filing has become a key strategy.
“Concurrent filing has become the default strategy,” Gupta said, explaining that it allows eligible applicants to file their I-526E petition and I-485 adjustment of status application together. This can provide work authorization and travel permission while the green card process continues.
Investors seek clarity on timelines and project risks
Indian investors are becoming more cautious and are asking detailed questions about visa backlogs, processing timelines and project viability.
Gupta said investors should conduct deeper due diligence and avoid relying on “self-reported, unverified statistics” while evaluating EB-5 projects. He also cautioned investors against “interchanging immigration risk and investment risk,” saying both job creation requirements and capital repayment must be considered before investing.
EB-5 investments are currently spread across sectors including multifamily housing, student accommodation, industrial projects, energy infrastructure and hospitality. However, the expert claimed the key factor is not the sector but whether the project can create the required jobs and protect investor capital.
EB-5 demand continues despite Gold Card discussions
On President Donald Trump’s proposed Gold Card program, Gupta said discussions around the initiative have not reduced interest in EB-5.
“Serious investors are choosing to move forward with EB-5 because it is a mature, 36-year-old program backed by federal statute that offers defined milestones, a public record of outcomes, and statutory grandfathering protections.”
He added that its own track record includes raising more than $4.1 billion, returning $2.5 billion in capital to investors and facilitating nearly 10,000 permanent green cards.