Account form alone does not decide who is the principal applicant or which contribution supports the case.
Explain ownership without confusing derivative eligibility
A genuine joint account needs an accurate ownership and source explanation, not an automatic exclusion. Eligible derivatives generally include a spouse and unmarried children under 21, with individual CSPA review; immigrant-visa derivatives enter with or after the principal.
Choose the principal investor from subscription and ownership records, then explain each spouse’s interest in joint funds. A shared account can support a lawful-source narrative, but it does not create two principals or double the contribution. A spouse may derive; children must be unmarried and below 21, with CSPA review. EB-5 requires US$1,050,000 generally; the amount is US$800,000 for qualifying infrastructure or targeted-employment-area investments, together with ten full-time jobs for eligible U.S. workers and documented source and path. Regional-center cases proceed on Form I-526E, whereas direct investors file I-526. Conditional residence is granted for two years, and Form I-829 must be filed in the 90 days before its second anniversary. The mistake is letting an account label replace family and capital analysis.
Hypothetical example: A dairy-equipment supplier from Saint-Charles-de-Bourget plans to invest savings held jointly with his spouse. The couple collects records showing which earnings entered the account and signs a clear explanation of ownership and use. They select one principal based on the investment documents and list the other spouse and their eligible unmarried child as derivatives. Separate identity and civil records are prepared for each person, while the shared account remains part of one traceable capital story.