As published, US$15,000 per person in nonrefundable processing fees, and after successful vetting a gift of US$1 million for an individual principal or US$2 million per corporate-sponsored employee. The gift is a gift; it produces no return.
One payment is nonrefundable and the other is not an investment
The two published payments have very different characters and should never be discussed together with an EB-5 figure. The processing fee is nonrefundable, which means it is spent whether or not vetting succeeds. The larger payment is a gift to the United States government made after successful vetting; it buys no equity, earns nothing, creates no job-creation credit and cannot be recovered.
Comparing it with an EB-5 investment, where capital is placed at risk in an enterprise and may be returned or lost, is a category error that intermediaries sometimes encourage. Corporate arrangements as published add one per cent annual maintenance and a five per cent transfer fee including a further background check. Every one of these figures should be re-verified on the official program page before any money moves, and a written schedule of payments obtained first.