Question:

The EB-5 requirement is that the investor has to invest personal investment funds into the new commercial enterprise. The investment funds have to be proved to come from a lawful source. The lottery is a lawful source and the winnings may go to you as a personal source for the EB-5 investment.

As gifts from family/friends can be acceptable sources of EB-5 investment funds, prize winnings may also be used with the proper information and documentation (as collected, reviewed, and prepared by an EB-5 attorney). One consideration is that many regional centers request investors to be accredited as per US SEC regulations. Those regulations measure the person’s overall wealth beyond the $500,000 investment.