Mid-America Rural Development (MARD)

Unlocking EB-5 Opportunities Across America’s Heartland

MARD is a USCIS-approved EB-5 regional center covering nine states: Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana. We provide EB-5 project sponsorship services for developers and issuers seeking to raise EB-5 capital.

Mid-America Rural Development Regional Center

Approved by USCIS: September 13, 2023

We also participate in the EB5Marketplace Regional Center Sponsorship program which provides USCIS-approved regional center coverage in all 50 states.

Our Services Include:

Regional Center Sponsorship

USCIS-approved sponsorship for your EB-5 project.

Project Due Diligence & Regulatory Review

Full compliance with USCIS and SEC regulations

Agent Oversight

We review I-956Ks and require agent confirmation of compliant marketing use.

Fund Oversight (via Administrator Reports)

We look over capital transfer activity with your fund administrator. We do not manage investor funds directly.

Marketing Review

Ensuring investor-facing materials are accurate and compliant.

Annual Compliance

Ongoing oversight until all I-829s are adjudicated.

Expansive Rural Coverage

Our region includes some of the most rural states in the U.S., offering extensive eligibility for EB-5 investments, including faster adjudication and visa set-asides:

Texas:

83% of land is farmland, ranchland, or forest

Montana:

93 million acres, 62% agricultural use.

Oklahoma:

97% rural land area

Colorado:

30.2 million acres of farmland.

Wyoming:

97% rural by land area.

New Mexico:

Most couunties under 15 people per square mile.

Louisiana:

77% rural land area

North Dakota:

Predominantly rural with large agricultural zones.

Utah:

Majority rural in geography, despite uban population

Inside a USCIS Audit

In the video below, Kurt Reuss speaks with three professionals who have firsthand experience navigating a USCIS audit: a securities attorney, the managing partner of a New Commercial Enterprise (NCE), and a lawyer from a fund administrator. Together, they walk through how the audit was conducted, what USCIS focused on, and the key takeaways for anyone preparing for or managing EB-5 compliance.

Fee Structure

Setup Fee:

$35,000 - $45,000


Annual Fees:

$30,000 per year (minimum)


Partner with proven EB-5 professionals

Who We Are

Kurt Reuss is a registered broker-dealer representative and the President of Mid American Rural Development, a USCIS-designated regional center covering nine rural-focused states. With over a decade of experience in EB-5 securities and compliance, Kurt leads MARD’s efforts to support job-creating projects in underserved areas while ensuring regulatory integrity and investor protection. He is also the founder of EB5Marketplace, a platform dedicated to transparency and due diligence in EB-5 investing.

Kurt Reuss

President, Mid American Rural Development (MARD)

Mark is an experienced executive and coordinates the responsibilities for attracting good projects for Mid-America Rural Development Regional Center. He was Vice President of Operations for Greystone Oil & Gas, LP from 2010 to 2015 and helped start Greystone’s Devonian redevelopment program. He founded Blue Tip Energy Management in 2004, investing in underperforming natural gas assets.

Since 1998, Mark has been President of Wagner Energy Services, which designs and implements drilling and completion technologies worldwide. Mark holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla and is a 35-year member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Mark Wagner

Business Development

  • Operating under the stringent supervision of a registered broker-dealer for years, Kurt is extremely knowledgable about securities compliance. Note that the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 requires regional centers to follow U.S. federal and state securities regulations; as Kurt has been doing this for a living for many years, operating in accordance with securities laws is simply a natural part of business for him and his team.