Real estate in United States

Owning real estate in the United States

American residential property remains one of the world's most liquid and closely watched asset classes, and markets such as Miami, New York and Los Angeles are broadly open to foreign buyers. For many international families, a home in the United States is a considered lifestyle and portfolio decision: a place to spend time, to house children during their studies, or to hold as a long-term asset. It is important to be candid on one point. Buying a house, an apartment or any residential property in the United States does not grant you a visa, a Green Card or any form of immigration status. Property ownership and the right to live in the country are two entirely separate matters, and any advice suggesting otherwise should be treated with caution.

How EB-5 actually works

The route that can lead to United States residency is the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme, and it is built around job creation, not home ownership. To qualify, an investor must make an at-risk capital investment into a business that creates or preserves at least 10 full-time jobs for US workers. The minimum is USD 1,050,000, reduced to USD 800,000 where the capital goes into a Targeted Employment Area or a qualifying infrastructure project current USCIS thresholds and TEA definitions. Capital may be deployed through a direct investment into one's own enterprise, or through a designated Regional Center project that pools investor funds. A successful application leads to a conditional Green Card, then permanent residency once the job-creation conditions are met, with a path to citizenship thereafter conditions, timelines and eligibility.

There is a distinction worth drawing carefully. Some Regional Center projects are real-estate development ventures, building hotels, apartments or commercial premises, and they can qualify precisely because construction and operation create the required jobs. That is a genuine business investment in a job-creating enterprise. It is not the same as buying a finished home for your own use, which creates no qualifying employment and confers no immigration benefit. If a US route interests you, the honest starting point is our United States EB-5 residency by investment overview.

Two decisions, guided with candour

We encourage international families to treat these as two separate decisions, each on its own merits. A US property purchase is an asset and lifestyle question, weighed on location, price and long-term value. An EB-5 application is an immigration and business question, weighed on the project, the source of funds, the job-creation risk and the eventual return of capital, which is never guaranteed. Mirabello Consultancy advises on both with the same Swiss precision and personal care, drawing on specialist partners for the US route. Mirabello's EB-5 offering is delivered with those partners and is subject to United States counsel sign-off partner and counsel arrangements, and we do not provide personalised legal, tax or investment advice. What we do offer is a clear, measured explanation of how each path really works, so that your expectations are grounded from the outset.

Speak to a Mirabello specialist

If you are weighing a home in the United States, an EB-5 investment, or simply want to understand how the two differ, a Mirabello specialist will talk it through with you honestly and without pressure. We would be glad to help you take the right next step.