Date: December 12th, 2025 1:27 PM
Author: https://imgur.com/a/o2g8xYK
Elon Musk's path to a green card is a bit of a well-documented, and somewhat unusual, story. He didn't get it through typical employment sponsorship. Here's the breakdown:
Initial Visa (H-1B): Musk initially came to the US from South Africa in 1995 to pursue graduate studies at Stanford University. He obtained an H-1B visa, which is a visa for skilled workers. He quickly dropped out of Stanford to start his first company, Zip2.
Investment & EB-5 Visa: Rather than rely on employer sponsorship for a green card (which can be lengthy and complex), Musk used a controversial method: the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. This program grants green cards to foreign nationals who invest a significant amount of capital (historically $500,000 to $1 million, depending on the location) in a US business that creates at least 10 full-time jobs.
Musk's Investment: Musk invested $500,000 in Zip2. While Zip2 was growing, it wasn't initially creating the required 10 jobs needed to meet the EB-5 requirements.
A Helping Hand: According to Musk himself, his investors at Zip2 helped him meet the job creation requirement by creating positions specifically to help him qualify for the green card. He's described it as a "bit of a workaround," acknowledging they created jobs on paper that might not have been fully necessary at the time, but that met the technical requirements.
Approval & Citizenship: The EB-5 petition was approved, granting him a green card. He later became a US citizen.
(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5809532&forum_id=2#49504675)