Paying one employee more does not turn that position into several qualifying jobs. For direct employment, the full-time standard generally concerns a position requiring at least 35 hours weekly, not a wage-to-job conversion.
Separate the payroll calculation from the capital schedule
Mark the actual position, hours and qualifying worker in the employment evidence. A salary increase may affect the operating budget, but it does not fill a missing position. Under the applicable job framework, EB-5 needs ten qualifying permanent full-time jobs per investor. The separate September 2026 capital minimum is US$1,050,000, or US$800,000 for a qualifying targeted employment area or infrastructure project. Statutory adjustments begin January 1, 2027 under filing-date rules. Ask the project to explain its job evidence in the correct units before relying on an aggregate spending figure.
Project administrative and subscription fees charged by the offering, government filing fees at the amounts in the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, and professional fees for independent legal review, source-of-funds preparation and accounting. Request the fee schedule as a document rather than as a figure quoted in conversation, and check whether it names anything payable later: annual administration, transfer charges, or costs deducted from a distribution.