Your country of birth, current status and immigration history; the amount of capital available and how it was earned; whether at least US$800,000 can be documented for a qualifying targeted employment area or infrastructure investment, or US$1,050,000 otherwise; and who else in the household intends to immigrate with you.
Answer the awkward questions early
Prior visa refusals, criminal matters, tax irregularities, an earlier overstay or a business dispute are far cheaper to raise now than after capital has moved. They do not automatically end an EB-5 plan, but they change the evidence needed and sometimes the sequence of steps. An adviser who learns them at interview stage has less room to work with, and the applicant has less room to change course.
It is worth understanding why these questions come first rather than after a project is chosen. Country of birth affects chargeability and therefore waiting time; immigration history affects admissibility and sometimes the route; and the amount of documentable capital determines whether the reduced or the standard figure is even in play. Together those three facts decide whether a given offering is relevant at all, which is why an adviser who recommends a project before asking them has not yet done the assessment.
Statutory adjustments to the capital amounts begin in 2027, so the figures should be confirmed against current official sources close to any filing.