Keep qualifying capital distinct from project administration, government filing, professional and household expenses. The current threshold is generally US$1,050,000, or US$800,000 only when the project independently satisfies the targeted-employment-area or infrastructure criteria; verify the filing-date amount and scheduled adjustment before funding. Family payment terms remain a separate source-and-path issue.
Avoid an assumed all-inclusive contribution
Ask whether the family contribution covers only the proposed investment or additional costs. Keep any repayment or reimbursement terms accurate. The immigration reviewer and financial advisers need the actual arrangement, not a simplified total that hides obligations.
Hypothetical example: A regional print-shop owner is considering an EB-5 investment and has a spreadsheet that combines the capital contribution, a project administration charge, tax advice, and family travel costs. The first review separates each amount by legal and commercial purpose. The subscription or enterprise documents settle what enters the investment; invoices settle separate professional or administrative payments; the source records settle where the investor's own capital came from. Decide the investment structure first, then build a full cost schedule, then ensure the funding trail corresponds to the qualifying capital rather than the headline total. A common error is treating every payment to a project-related party as at-risk capital. It is not. The investment must satisfy the applicable capital and job rules, and the immigration process later leads, if eligible, to conditional residence rather than an immediate permanent result. Keep this EB5 costs record aligned with final filing facts and issued source materials, then preserve a dated copy internally before formal submission for future reference and review by responsible staff if questions arise later.