CMB Regional Centers Secures First I-526E Approval for Coachella Valley Build-to-Rent Project

Event summary

  • CMB Regional Centers received its first I-526E approval for an investor in the Coachella Valley Build-to-Rent (BTR) project, a High-Unemployment Area (HUA) EB-5 initiative.
  • The project, CMB Group 93, involved over $32 million in EB-5 capital for a 240-home community in Thermal, California.
  • This marks the seventh CMB HUA partnership to achieve first I-526E approvals in recent months.
  • CMB and Hillwood have collaborated on 45 EB-5 partnerships, with the latest, CMB Group 101, announced in November 2025.

The big picture

CMB Regional Centers continues to solidify its position as a key player in the EB-5 industry, with over $1.5 billion repaid to investors and a 100% project approval rate. The Coachella Valley project highlights the growing trend of build-to-rent developments financed through EB-5 capital, particularly in high-unemployment areas. The partnership with Hillwood underscores the strategic importance of scalable, repeatable models in the real estate and immigration investment sectors.

What we're watching

Approval Momentum
Whether CMB can sustain the pace of I-526E approvals across its other HUA partnerships.
Hillwood Partnership
How the strategic collaboration with Hillwood will impact future EB-5 project deployments.
Regulatory Environment
The potential influence of USCIS adjudication trends on the approval timeline for other CMB projects.