EB-5 After the RIA: Jobs, TEA Designations, and the 2026 Deadline

Christian Triantaphyllis, who leads Jackson Walker’s Investment Immigration practice, represents foreign nationals and immigrant investors in cross-border and business immigration matters, usually dealing with regional centers and direct investments. In his practice, Christian regularly serves as counsel to real estate developers, regional centers, private equity funds, and family offices, and advises those on structuring potential EB-5 funding by providing analysis on project business plans, securities offerings, and economic reports. His practice also includes working with attorneys across Jackson Walker’s real estate and corporate practices to facilitate Qualified Opportunity Zone investments for both real estate and operating businesses.

Christian has become particularly experienced assisting foreign nationals, entrepreneurs, and high-net worth families from around the world through the EB-5 visa program, preparing and filing I-526 petitions and I-829 petitions for regional centers and direct investors.

Additionally, Christian is a skilled employment immigration attorney who advises employers about obtaining temporary work visas and permanent resident status for current and prospective employees. Christian is a specialist in assisting clients with E-2 investor visas and L-1 New Office visas for start-up companies in the United States, and advises foreign nationals and U.S. companies on immigration law compliance matters in accordance with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of State.

Christian frequently speaks about business immigration topics in the U.S. and internationally. He is also a prolific writer and has contributed to various publications including EB5 Investor, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Texas Lawbook, and The National Law Review, among others. Recognized as one of the preeminent business immigration attorneys in the U.S., he was named to EB5 Investor Magazine’s Top 25 Immigration Attorneys since 2017.

Christian cut his teeth as a global citizen serving in the United States Peace Corps as a health sector volunteer and went on to serve as a law clerk with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in the Netherlands. Christian is a conversational speaker of Spanish and Chichewa (Malawi).

Matt brings 15 years of investment banking advisory and transactional experience to the Advisory team. He has advised on over 40 transactions and 100’s of startup clients across different industries and geographies. Matt is fluent in the lifecycle of transactions ranging from $1MM to $250MM and having led such transactions from valuation and deal structuring to distribution, capital raising and negotiation for a variety of ventures and corporations at different stages of their development.

Joshua brings a unique blend of account management experience mixed with a legal and business marketing educational background to the Joorney family. Originally from Los Angeles, he has lived in Europe and Latin America and is a bilingual JD graduate. At Joorney, Joshua enjoys learning about his client’s backgrounds and goals and assisting them with business plans for immigration and business development projects.