The official framework describes a gift to the U.S. government together with a processing fee. Amounts and payment mechanisms are stated on the official government page and are subject to change, so they must be confirmed there immediately before any decision or payment.
The critical point is what the money is, not only how much it is
A gift to the U.S. government is categorically different from an EB-5 investment, and conflating them causes real harm. EB-5 capital is invested in a commercial enterprise, must be at risk, and may be returned if the enterprise performs; that risk is the point of the requirement. A gift is a transfer to the government. It is not an investment, it does not create jobs in the statutory sense, it does not count toward any EB-5 requirement, and nothing about it should be described as recoverable unless the official terms say so. Anyone presenting a structure in which a single payment serves both purposes has misunderstood the programs or is misrepresenting them. Confirm current amounts and mechanisms on the official page, and take independent advice before transferring anything.
Hypothetical example: a solar-well-pump distributor sees one transfer called both program payment and business investment. The review should decide whether each transfer has one verified recipient and legal purpose, using official amount information, transfer instruction, refund terms, and business documents. Put the payer, payment date, and refund condition beside every item before money moves. Check current government figures directly. The recurring error is that a spreadsheet cannot merge government payment with equity. Financial planning follows the substantive eligibility analysis.