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DIEPPE · EB-5 FIELD GUIDE

Can jointly owned savings be described as solely mine for simplicity?

Sources checked:

THE DIRECT ANSWER

No. State the actual ownership and establish the investor’s entitlement and lawful use of the funds.

Keep financial ownership and derivative eligibility separate

A legitimate joint account is not automatically disqualifying or universally required to be replaced. Review real rights and the source path, while assessing family relationships and age questions independently.

The process generally includes an investor petition, an immigrant visa or adjustment of status stage where available, and later removal of conditions, with visa availability and individual circumstances affecting the actual sequence. Keep school enrollment plans separate from status eligibility, since a school admission or an investment payment does not by itself extend a child's qualifying age or guarantee the household completes the process together. Derivative status covers a spouse and unmarried children under twenty-one, and unlike derivatives in nonimmigrant categories these family members become conditional permanent residents with the right to work and study. Derivative eligibility for a spouse and unmarried children under twenty-one is assessed against each person’s own relationship and age under the applicable rules, so a child approaching that threshold changes the household’s planning rather than the project’s. Where derivative status is sought for a spouse and unmarried children under 21, the governing records are civil documents, being marriage and birth registrations, translations where required, and each person's own passport and immigration history.