American Life

What American Life does

American Life, Inc. is a Seattle-based EB-5 Regional Center founded in 1996 by Henry Liebman and the longest continuously operating USCIS-approved regional center in the United States. The firm raises foreign capital from high-net-worth individuals seeking US permanent residency through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program and deploys that capital into equity-based real estate development, primarily hotel projects operated under Marriott-affiliated brands such as Fairfield Inn & Suites and SpringHill Suites. Over its 30-year operating history the firm has completed more than 45 projects with a cumulative market value of $1.5 billion, financed by 3,000-plus investors from 50-plus countries and resulting in 8,000-plus visas issued and 3,400-plus I-829 petition approvals, with $225 million in capital returned and $285 million in profit distributions to investors.

The underlying operating model differs from most EB-5 sponsors in that American Life takes an equity ownership position in its real estate projects rather than structuring the EB-5 pool as a loan to the developer. This equity participation aligns the firm with investors on both immigration adjudication outcomes (I-526 approval, conditional residence, I-829 removal of conditions) and underlying real estate performance. Projects are structured around the minimum EB-5 investment thresholds ($800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area or $1.05 million outside a TEA) and require the sponsor to demonstrate job creation per investor under USCIS methodology, a requirement the firm states it has met at a 100% rate across its portfolio.

The firm's go-to-market combines a global investor-distribution footprint built through international roadshows in markets including Dubai, Taiwan, Asia, Latin America, and Canada, with an in-house investor relations function and an attorney/migration-agent referral network. Revenue is generated primarily through syndication and administration fees on EB-5 capital placed plus a share of equity distributions from successful real estate projects. Recent operational moves include partnership with InterMountain Management on a Marriott SpringHill Suites project, a completed 2024 USCIS audit with no adverse findings, an active 2024 lawsuit challenging USCIS EB-5 filing fee increases, and an IIUSA I-829 Award for Excellence received in 2025. The firm has also begun piloting AI agent tools with SS&C Technologies for private credit back-office operations.

Name

American Life

Legal name

American Life, Inc.

Website

https://amlife.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

American Life is a Seattle-based USCIS-approved EB-5 Regional Center founded in 1996 that raises foreign capital from HNW investors and deploys it into equity-based real estate development, primarily Marriott-affiliated hotel projects, generating fees and equity returns across 45-plus completed projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

EB-5 Immigrant Investor Real Estate Development

NAICS

Accommodation (721), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Executive Short-Term Housing Management (BPAJAIAH)

Keywords

• EB-5 regional center
• Immigrant investor program
• Equity real estate investment
• US permanent residency
• Hotel development

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. EB-5 Investment Management: American Life generates revenue by managing EB-5 equity investments in real estate development projects. Investors pay syndication fees and receive equity ownership in projects with potential profit distributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

American Life operates the longest-established EB-5 Regional Center program in the United States, founded in 1996. The company facilitates U.S. permanent residency for foreign investors and their families through equity-based investments in qualifying real estate development projects (primarily hotels branded by Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt). Investors receive ownership stakes in limited partnerships rather than acting as lenders.

Product overview

American Life operates as an EB-5 Regional Center Investment Program — the longest-established program in the United States, founded in 1996. The company's core offering is facilitating EB-5 immigrant investor visas through equity-based real estate development projects. American Life's product portfolio consists of: (1) the EB-5 Regional Center Investment Program as the primary service offering, (2) a diverse portfolio of real estate development projects including hotels (Embassy Suites by Hilton, Courtyard/Residence Inn by Marriott LA Live, Fairfield Inn & Suites, TownePlace Suites, Courtyard Pioneer Square, Homewood Suites Atlanta), office buildings (Home Plate Center, Stadium Innovation Center, Slalom Hawk Tower), and industrial properties (Ohio Transfer Building, Ederer Building, Pacific Industrial Center, Urban WORKlofts), and (3) investor support services including immigration petition support, an online investor portal, and I-829 approval assistance. The company also recently began testing AI agents (deployed by SS&C Technologies) for private credit operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EB-5 Regional Center Investment Program The core EB-5 investment program offering pathway to U.S. permanent residency (green cards) for foreign investors and their families through equity-based real estate investments. Investors contribute a minimum of $800,000 (TEA) or $1,050,000 (non-TEA) into qualifying projects that create at least 10 U.S. jobs per investor.
• Embassy Suites by Hilton (Seattle) A 282-room, 23-floor Hilton Embassy Suites hotel in Seattle's Pioneer Square/Stadium District completed in 2018 with approximately $271.5 million project capitalization.
• Slalom Hawk Tower A 23-story hotel tower and 19-story office tower connected by an 8-story arcade/atrium in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, completed February 2018.
• Courtyard by Marriott / Residence Inn @ LA Live A co-branded LEED Silver-certified hotel with 393 rooms (175 Courtyard + 218 Residence Inn) at LA Live in Los Angeles, completed June 2014 with $180 million project capitalization.
• Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott (Lancaster, CA) A 108-room hotel developed by American Life in Lancaster, California, opened in 2023 with $23.5 million project capitalization.
• TownePlace Suites by Marriott (Lancaster, CA) A 93-room hotel developed by American Life in Lancaster, California with adjoining retail and restaurants, completed 2014 with $18 million project capitalization.
• Courtyard by Marriott – Pioneer Square A 262-guestroom, 15-floor hotel redeveloped from the historic Alaska Building in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, opened 2010 with $87.6 million project capitalization.
• Homewood Suites by Hilton – Atlanta Airport North A 122-room, 6-story extended-stay hotel near Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, completed October 2014 with $17.6 million project capitalization.
• Home Plate Center A two-building, 13-floor class-A office campus adjacent to T-Mobile Park in Seattle's Stadium District, completed in phases (2012, 2014) with $155 million project capitalization.
• Stadium Innovation Center A 6-story, LEED Gold-certified flex office building in Seattle's Stadium District, completed 2009 with $62 million project capitalization.
• Marriott SpringHill Suites (Lakewood, WA) A 128-room SpringHill Suites Marriott hotel in Lakewood, Washington, developed in partnership with InterMountain Management, LLC. The project meets USCIS TEA requirements under the Reform and Integrity Act.
• Investor Relations Services Dedicated investor support including project filing templates, USCIS petition support, 24-hour online investor portal access, quarterly financial updates, profit distributions via ACH, and I-829 petition preparation support for EB-5 investors.
• Immigration Legal Support Fully developed project filing templates and support provided to immigration attorneys for I-526E and I-829 petition preparation and submission on behalf of EB-5 investors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 100% I-526 approval rate since 1996
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• InterMountain Management, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024American Life partnered with InterMountain Management, LLC to develop the Marriott SpringHill Suites project in Lakewood, Washington. InterMountain serves as the property management company for this 128-room hotel development near Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
• Marriott InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Life has developed multiple Marriott-branded hotels including Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn, Fairfield Inn & Suites, TownePlace Suites, and SpringHill Suites. Projects are co-branded or franchise properties under Marriott's hotel brands.
• Hilton WorldwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Life has developed Hilton-branded hotels including Embassy Suites by Hilton and Homewood Suites by Hilton. Projects operate under Hilton's franchise model.
• Invest in the USA (IIUSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIUSA is the national not-for-profit industry trade association for the EB-5 Regional Center Program. American Life's Darrell Sanders serves on IIUSA's Board of Directors. American Life actively participates in IIUSA events, advocacy efforts, and industry initiatives.
• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAILA is the premier national organization for immigration law professionals. American Life attends AILA's annual conferences to strengthen relationships with immigration attorneys and stay current on policy developments.
• Investment Migration CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal migration industry organization. Darrell Sanders was invited to speak at the IMC Annual Conference in Dubai 2024 on investment-based migration programs including the EB-5 program.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CanAm Enterprises: One of the largest and longest-operating EB-5 Regional Centers in the U.S., pooling foreign investor capital into real estate and infrastructure projects. Direct competitor in the same USCIS regional center model with overlapping investor base.
• EB5 Capital: EB-5 Regional Center operator focused on real estate development projects funded through foreign investor capital. Direct competitor with similar equity-pooling structure and hospitality/mixed-use project focus.
• Civitas Capital Group: EB-5 Regional Center sponsoring real estate investments for foreign investors seeking U.S. residency. Comparable business model targeting HNW foreign nationals with pooled equity investments.
• CMB Regional Centers: Long-established EB-5 Regional Center operating infrastructure and real estate projects. Direct competitor serving the same immigration-investor use case through USCIS-approved regional center designation.
• Golden Gate Global: EB-5 Regional Center operator managing pooled foreign investor capital into real estate developments. Comparable regional center competitor with similar equity syndication model.
• Peachtree Group: Real estate investment firm operating an EB-5 Regional Center alongside credit and equity investment platforms. Compares via branded-hotel and select-service hospitality project focus with EB-5 capital sourcing.

Broad incumbents

• Lennar Corporation: Large publicly-traded homebuilder and real estate developer. Comparable via real estate development scale, but a broad incumbent whose primary business is residential rather than EB-5-funded hospitality.
• Hyatt Hotels Corporation: Major global hotel brand that American Life develops properties under. Broad incumbent hospitality franchisor serving similar end-customers (corporate travelers) but operating at significantly larger scale across franchise and management.

Emerging players

• iCapital Network: Alternative investment platform providing HNW and advisor access to private equity, credit, and structured offerings. Comparable in facilitating HNW capital allocation to private real estate and alternative investments, though not an EB-5-specific operator.

Others

• Invest in the USA (IIUSA): Industry trade association representing EB-5 Regional Centers. American Life is a member with board representation; relevant industry ecosystem body but not a commercial competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/americanlifeinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-life-inc.

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Life