Key Takeaways
- Agricultural businesses owned by AOS EAD holders qualify using SSN + EIN + 3 months of farm revenue bank statements — no green card required
- USDA Farm Service Agency loans also now require citizenship — Bankable provides the private capital alternative for AOS EAD farmers
- Seasonal harvest timing creates natural working capital needs that revenue-based advances are structured to address
- Equipment financing for tractors, irrigation systems, and processing equipment is a primary use case for farm funding
- Agricultural businesses with $15K+ in monthly crop, livestock, or processing revenue qualify for Bankable's standard program
American agriculture is built on immigrant labor and immigrant ownership. From California's Central Valley to Florida's agricultural heartland, farms and agricultural businesses owned by naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents, and AOS EAD holders produce a significant share of the nation's food supply. Many farm owners came to the United States on agricultural or work visas, built their operations over decades, and now hold AOS EAD status while their I-485 petitions work through the system.
Agricultural businesses face a double exclusion after March 2026: both the SBA's small business loan programs and the USDA Farm Service Agency's (FSA) loan programs have citizenship requirements that exclude AOS EAD holders. This leaves a significant financing gap for legally operating farm businesses with documented revenue. Bankable's private revenue-based program fills this gap using your crop sales, livestock proceeds, and agricultural processing revenue as the basis for underwriting. Your SSN and EIN are your qualifications — no green card required.
Agricultural Capital Needs and Funding Uses
Equipment Acquisition and Replacement
Agricultural equipment is among the most expensive of any industry. New tractors run $50K–$300K. Irrigation system installations cost $200K–$1M for a medium-sized operation. Harvesting equipment, processing machinery, cold storage systems, and greenhouse infrastructure represent additional multi-hundred-thousand-dollar investments. Revenue-based advances from Bankable fund these equipment purchases using existing farm revenue, bypassing citizenship-gated USDA and SBA programs.
Seasonal Working Capital
Farming is inherently seasonal. Input costs — seed, fertilizer, pesticides, fuel, seasonal labor — occur months before harvest revenue is realized. A crop farmer who plants in April and harvests in October needs six months of working capital before the first revenue check arrives. Revenue-based advances bridge this agricultural cash flow gap, with repayment structured to align with harvest-season deposits.
Land Improvements and Infrastructure
Drainage improvements, irrigation upgrades, greenhouse construction, fencing, and road improvements on farm property are capital investments that improve productivity and property value. These improvements often cost $50K–$500K and generate revenue over many subsequent seasons.
Processing and Value-Added Operations
Agricultural producers who process their crops — a fruit grower who builds a packing shed, a dairy farmer who installs a cheese-making operation — can dramatically increase revenue per acre or per animal. Processing facility construction and equipment typically requires $200K–$1M in capital that revenue-based advances can partially fund.
| Factor | Bankable Standard |
|---|---|
| Immigration Status | AOS EAD or parolee-in-place EAD |
| Monthly Revenue | $15,000+ in farm/ag business deposits (annualized) |
| Business Age | 6 months minimum (12+ preferred for seasonal operations) |
| Documentation | SSN + EIN + 3 months bank statements |
| Funding Available | $25,000 to $5,000,000 |
| Decision Timeline | 48 hours from complete application |
Agricultural businesses with year-round operations (greenhouses, livestock, aquaculture) typically show the most consistent bank deposit patterns. Seasonal crop farmers may benefit from applying during or after harvest season. Check your Bankability Score for a personalized assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Bankable provides revenue-based advances for farms and agricultural businesses owned by AOS EAD holders. We use crop sales, livestock revenue, and farm income bank deposits for underwriting. No green card required.
No. USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) direct and guaranteed loan programs require US citizenship or legal permanent resident status. AOS EAD holders are excluded. Bankable's private capital program has no citizenship requirement.
We look at 12-month revenue trends and annualized deposit patterns. For seasonal crop operations, we look at average monthly deposits across the full year, not just the most recent 3 months. Harvest-season deposits are weighted alongside off-season operating costs.
Yes. Tractor purchases, irrigation equipment, harvesting machinery, and cold storage systems are all fundable uses. We advance against existing farm revenue to fund equipment acquisitions that expand production capacity.
Row crop farms, fruit and vegetable operations, livestock producers, poultry operations, dairy farms, greenhouse and nursery businesses, aquaculture, and agricultural processing companies all qualify, provided they have 6+ months of operating history and $15K+ in monthly revenue.
The SBA rule, combined with existing USDA citizenship requirements, effectively closed all government-backed agricultural lending to AOS EAD holders. Bankable provides private capital outside these government programs with no citizenship requirement.
Yes. Agricultural labor — payroll for seasonal harvest workers, H-2A labor contractor payments, and year-round staff — is a working capital need that revenue-based advances can cover, particularly during planting and pre-harvest periods when costs precede revenue.
SSN, EIN, and 3 months of business bank statements are the core requirements. For agricultural businesses with seasonally concentrated revenue, additional months of statements or tax returns from the prior year may help demonstrate annual revenue capacity.