What is the difference between the $1 million direct investment route and the $500,000 regional investment center path?

A: Direct Investment: This immigration route requires an applicant to invest or be actively investing at least $1 million into a new commercial enterprise that employs 10 US citizens or authorized immigrant workers full-time and requires an applicant to be engaged in the business through day-to-day management or policy formation.

Regional Investment Center: The difference with this immigration route is that the applicant need only invest at least $500,000 into a business that has already been approved by USCIS by demonstrating that it will promote economic growth through increased export sales, improved regional productivity, job creation, or increased domestic capital investment.