Although an EB-5 investor is not required to use a USCIS-approved regional center as an investment intermediary, most investors do. Although it is possible to establish your own regional center, most investors use already established third-party regional centers. Investing in a third-party regional center is attractive to investors whose primary purpose in seeking EB-5 status is immigration, not the investment itself.

An EB-5 regional center is an organization designated by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to absorb investments by EB-5 investors seeking permanent residence in the United States through investment. Investing in a regional center is one of two ways that an investor can gain permanent residence in the US through the EB-5 investment program (the other way is through direct investment in a new commercial enterprise).