Yes, if the designation is valid under the 2022 rules at the time of investment and filing. The reduced amount is US$800,000 as checked September 7, 2026, subject to adjustment from 2027, and the other conditions on jobs, source of funds and participation still apply in full.
The lower amount is real; check who granted it
The reduced investment applies to projects located in a targeted employment area, which is either a rural area or an area of high unemployment, and to qualifying infrastructure projects. Under the 2022 reform law, high-unemployment designations are made by USCIS on the basis of census tracts, not by state letters as before, and they can lapse. The sponsor should provide the designation evidence it will attach to the investor's petition and confirm the date it was assessed.
The reduced amount changes nothing else. The capital must still be traced to lawful sources, must be at risk in the new commercial enterprise and sustained for at least two years, and must be supported by ten allocated full-time jobs. The investor must still hold the participation rights the partnership agreement provides.
A project marketed on its lower price point without a current designation file is a project to ask harder questions about, not a discount.