This EB-5 success story follows Leo L., a Taiwanese citizen born and raised in Thailand, who began his EB-5 journey in early 2017 as a college student in New York. As a budding entrepreneur who wanted to maintain career flexibility, Leo was concerned about the restrictive nature of an H-1B visa. Instead, he wanted a path that would offer mobility and freedom, something only a U.S. Green Card could provide.
He chose the EB-5 visa as one of the fastest ways to obtain U.S. permanent residence and avoid the H-1B backlog and lottery because it allows international students and professionals to join the American workforce without a need for a work visa.
Why did he choose a Golden Gate Global EB-5 Project?
After researching alternatives, Leo was introduced to Golden Gate Global through immigration law firms. He ultimately invested in Golden Gate Global's EB-5 Project in the San Francisco Bay Area, a large-scale, multi-use development that included homes, commercial space, and public infrastructure. "I could see a future beyond a decade," Leo recalled, "even two decades."
What drew Leo to Golden Gate Global’s EB-5 project was not only the scale and location of the project, in a thriving, stable market like San Francisco, but also the structure of the investment. "There was a high job creation cushion," Leo emphasized, which gave him peace of mind that a job creation requirement would be comfortably met. He also valued the project's solid financial backing, including the investments from other credible lending sources.
Regional Center support during the EB-5 Process
Equally important to Leo was the investor experience. "My family doesn’t speak English well," he said. "GGG provided Mandarin-speaking support, helping us understand the process and paperwork." He praised the team’s consistent communication, organized document handling, and helpful updates, from quarterly reports to annual CEO memos. Leo also highlighted GGG’s proactive legal strategy. The firm advised on filing Writ of Mandamus (WOM) when the wait time becomes excessive. Thus, Leo’s immigration counsel filed a mandamus petition on his behalf to ensure timely processing of his I-526 petition, despite the delay.
The EB-5 process involves multiple stages, including petition approval, issuance of a conditional green card, and eventually, permanent residency and capital repayment. Here’s what the EB-5 process timeline looked like for Leo L.
- March 2017 – I-526 filed
- April 2021 – I-526 approved (project plan and source of funds approved)
- July 2022 – I-485 approved; conditional green card issued
- April 2024 – I-829 filed to remove conditions
- December 2024 – I-829 approved; 10-year green card granted
- April 2025 – Capital repayment received
“I expected three to four years,” Leo admits. “It turned into six-and-a-half because the EB-5 program paused for a year, but building in that buffer kept me sane.”
Between July 1, 2021, and March 15, 2022, the EB-5 Regional Center Program lapsed due to Congress’s failure to reauthorize it. During this period, USCIS paused the adjudication of pending I-526 petitions linked to regional center investments.
This caused a significant backlog and delay for many EB-5 investors, including those who had already filed and were awaiting decisions. The passage of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA) in March 2022 reauthorized and modernized the program, allowing adjudications to resume under a strengthened compliance framework and ensuring that such delays would not occur again.
Life with a Green Card after EB-5 Visa
Today, Leo works as a product manager at a U.S. tech company and has previously worked in consulting and finance. With his Green Card, he’s enjoyed the freedom to pursue side projects, including helping launch a cocktail bar and advising early-stage startups. "The Green Card gives me the flexibility of an American citizen," he said. "I can change jobs, take on side gigs, even consider starting my own company."
Reflecting on his six-year EB-5 journey, Leo offered thoughtful advice:
“Choose a fund that invests in large, long-term projects. Pay attention to job creation numbers. Work with good lawyers and a transparent fund, and think of EB-5 as a small, secured loan that trades returns for U.S. residency.”
For Leo, the investment was never just financial. "It’s a way to build the life you want," he concluded. "And with Golden Gate Global, I felt supported every step of the way."