The government gift is not a commercial investment with a promised return. Do not rely on repayment to fund later household costs.
Assess the financial commitment
Separate nonrefundable processing fees, gifts and other expenses. Obtain appropriate advice on the real obligations without assuming a residence outcome preserves the money.
In EB-5 the money is placed in a commercial enterprise, must remain at risk through the conditional period, must generate ten jobs and may be returned if the project succeeds; the investor also pays administrative and legal fees and takes commercial risk. Add to the headline amount the professional fees for preparing an application, the cost of any documents and translations, and the ordinary costs of relocating a household, which are frequently larger than people expect. Program terms can change because the program is administratively implemented, so verify them on the day of any commitment, and take advice from a licensed adviser rather than from anyone earning a commission. For a feasibility test, treat the full US$1 million as permanently spent and ask whether the remaining savings still support relocation, housing, and living costs in the United States. Treat that distinction as fundamental when comparing it with a capital-investment route, and confirm the current official program terms before making an irreversible transaction.