December 10, 2025

Infrastructure Project, Rural Area, And Targeted Employment Area In The RIA

In the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (“RIA”), three important terms are Infrastructure Project, Rural Area, and Targeted Employment Area (“TEA”). Here’s a clear explanation of each:

Infrastructure Project

An infrastructure project refers to a capital investment project administered by a governmental entity, such as a federal, state, or local agency. It typically involves a job-creating entity that works with a new commercial enterprise to receive capital investments from EB-5 investors. These projects are characteristically for improving public infrastructure with the added benefit of creating jobs and helping to stimulate local economic growth.

Rural Area

According to EB-5 regulation, areas that are within the geographic boundaries of a metropolitan statistical area are not eligible for the rural area designation, ensuring that the rural area classification is applied to regions that outside metropolitan zones and truly rural.

A Rural Area excludes areas within the boundaries of cities or towns that have a population of 20,000 or more, based on the most recent decennial census.

Rural areas are significant in the EB-5 program because they encourage investment into rural areas that often face economic challenges and benefit from investments that create jobs.

Targeted Employment Area

Any Rural or High-unemployment area identified by the Secretary of Homeland Security is considered a Targeted Employment Area.

EB-5 Projects located in TEAs are eligible for the lower minimum investment amount of US$800,000 instead of the base investment amount of US$1,050,000.

Since TEAs frequently experience greater unemployment rates or other economic difficulties, they are given preference for EB-5 investments. EB-5 investors can qualify for lower investment requirements by investing in a TEA, which makes it a desirable choice for people who want to have a significant influence on areas that are experiencing economic hardship.

If you have question about the EB-5 visa, contact us at info@enterlinepartners.com.

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Copyright 2025. This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. This article may be changed with or without notice. The opinions expressed in this article are those of Enterline and Partners only.

Categories: EB-5, EB-5 Reform And Integrity Act of 2022, EB-5 RIA 2022

Tags: eb-5, EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA)

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Infrastructure Project, Rural Area, And Targeted Employment Area In The RIA

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