🇺🇸 United States · Investment
Foreign investment rules, incentives, investment promotion agencies, and restricted sectors.
Quick answer
The U.S. welcomes foreign direct investment — starting a company, expanding, acquiring a business, or building manufacturing/R&D/logistics operations. There is no single federal approval office: SelectUSA promotes investment at the federal level, most incentives are offered by state and local agencies, and some deals are reviewed by CFIUS for national security. Public-company filings are free on SEC EDGAR, and FDI statistics are published by the BEA.
Inward investment is promoted federally through SelectUSA (part of the U.S. Department of Commerce). The U.S. is one of the world's largest destinations for foreign direct investment, but there is no single approval process for all projects — most tax, grant, land and training incentives are handled by state and local economic-development agencies. Foreign investments that may affect national security are reviewed by CFIUS, an interagency committee chaired by the Treasury.
- Main ways to invest: start a new U.S. company (LLC, corporation, branch or subsidiary); acquire or merge with an existing business; open a sales/representative office, warehouse, R&D center or regional HQ; invest in manufacturing or real estate; or invest in public markets.
- SelectUSA is the first-step federal resource for investors exploring or expanding in the U.S.; it helps navigate establishing or growing operations.
- Incentives are largely state and local: state economic-development organizations (EDOs) and city/county/industrial-park programs offer tax credits, grants, land and workforce-training support. Industry programs exist for areas like semiconductors, energy and manufacturing.
- CFIUS can review — and in some cases block or unwind — foreign investments in U.S. businesses or certain real-estate transactions that raise national-security concerns. Common risk areas: critical technology, critical infrastructure, sensitive personal data, defense-related businesses, and real estate near sensitive facilities.
- Official U.S. FDI statistics — new investment, and stocks by country and by industry — are published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).
- For public companies, investors can research filings (annual/quarterly reports, registration statements, disclosures) for free using the SEC's EDGAR database. General investor education is on Investor.gov.
- Investing usually goes hand-in-hand with company registration, the tax system, business banking and compliance — see those topics for the supporting steps.
Step-by-step
- 1
Choose your investment type
New company, acquisition, office/warehouse, manufacturing, real estate or public-market investment.
- 2
Select a state or market
Compare state/local incentives, talent, logistics and industry clusters via SelectUSA and state EDOs.
- 3
Review tax, legal & regulatory requirements
Check entity structure, federal/state taxes, sector licenses and reporting obligations.
- 4
Check whether CFIUS may apply
Assess national-security sensitivity (critical tech/infrastructure/data, defense, sensitive real estate).
- 5
Register or acquire the business
Form the entity (or complete the acquisition) and obtain an EIN and tax registrations.
- 6
Open accounts & start operations
Open a business bank account, then hire, lease property and begin operations.
Checklist
- Investment type defined
- Target state / market chosen
- Entity structure (LLC / corporation / branch)
- EIN + federal/state tax registration
- U.S. business bank account
- CFIUS sensitivity assessed (if relevant)
- Sector-specific licenses identified
- Legal / tax advisor engaged
Official authorities
- SelectUSA
Federal program promoting and facilitating investment in the U.S.
- CFIUS (U.S. Treasury)
Reviews foreign investment for national-security risk.
- BEA — Foreign Direct Investment in the U.S.
Official FDI statistics by country and industry.
- SEC EDGAR
Free public access to company filings and disclosures.
- Investor.gov (SEC)
Official investor education from the SEC.
- IRS — Businesses
Federal tax registration and obligations.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners invest in U.S. companies?
Yes. The U.S. is open to most forms of foreign direct investment. Certain sectors and transactions raising national-security concerns may be reviewed by CFIUS, and some industries have specific regulatory requirements.
What is SelectUSA?
SelectUSA is the U.S. federal government's investment-promotion program, run by the Department of Commerce. It helps foreign companies establish or expand operations in the United States and connects them to resources and state/local partners.
What is CFIUS?
CFIUS — the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States — is an interagency committee chaired by the Treasury. It reviews certain foreign investments and real-estate transactions for national-security risk, and can recommend mitigation, blocking or unwinding of a deal.
Are investment incentives federal or state-level?
Most incentives (tax credits, grants, land, training) are offered by state and local economic-development agencies rather than the federal government. SelectUSA helps connect investors to the right state and local partners.
Can foreign investors buy U.S. real estate?
Generally yes, with few restrictions on ordinary property. However, certain real-estate transactions near sensitive facilities, or tied to critical infrastructure, may fall within CFIUS's review scope. Tax and reporting rules also apply.
Where can I find U.S. FDI data, or research public companies?
Foreign direct investment statistics are published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). For public companies, the SEC's EDGAR database provides free access to filings and disclosures, and Investor.gov offers investor education.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- The White House — Official residence and office of the US President — executive orders, policy briefings, press releases
- U.S. Department of State — US passport and visa services, travel warnings, embassy information worldwide
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) — Federal tax filing, refund status, ITIN/EIN applications, and Free File program
- USCIS — Green card, H-1B and work visas, naturalization, immigration benefits, and case status