The May 2024 Visa Bulletin released by the U.S. Department of State indicated no movement in the EB-5 visa category. Dates remain current for all country nationals except India and China.
Final Action Dates
Dates for Filing
Get Your Green Card Faster With EB-5 Reserved Categories
Embarking on the EB-5 Immigration Process
Final Action Dates
The chart above displays the final action dates for employment-based immigrant visas, as outlined in the May 2024 Visa Bulletin. These cut-off dates determine when immigrant visas become available based on applicants’ priority dates.
The priority date is when United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) initially receives the Green Card application. For EB-5 investors, it is the date of Form I-526E filing.
If an applicant’s priority date precedes the final action date in their category, they can proceed with their immigrant visa application.
A final action date marked as “C” or “current” indicates no backlog in that category for the corresponding nationality, which means an immigrant visa can be issued immediately once approved.
EB-5: No Advancement for India and China Unreserved Category
There are no changes in final action dates in the EB-5 category from last month.
In the unreserved EB-5 category, the cut-off dates are unchanged for India at December 1, 2020, and for China at December 15, 2015. All other countries continue to be “current.”
The EB-5 set-aside categories are also “current” for all nations, including India and China, indicating no backlog in these categories.
All applicants who invest in projects qualifying for these reserved visas can move forward with their immigration process once their I-526E petitions are approved.
Dates for Filing
While the “Final Action Date” chart shows when a visa is expected to become available for an applicant’s nationality within their category, the “Dates for Filing” chart determines the date when an applicant can apply for a visa upon I-526E approval.
No Change for EB-5
For EB-5, all reserved and unreserved categories are “current,” except for China and India, which have the same cut-off dates in the unreserved category as the February Visa Bulletin.
Get Your Green Card Faster With EB-5 Reserved Categories
The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA) allocated 32% of the annual EB-5 visa quota as set-aside visas for projects in targeted employment areas (TEAs) and certain infrastructure projects—reserving 20% of those for rural areas, 10% for high-unemployment areas, and 2% for infrastructure projects.
As per the May 2024 Visa Bulletin, these categories are “current” for all countries, meaning there are no backlogs. There are visas available for immediate issuance under these categories.
EB-5 investors from high-demand countries, such as India and China, can avoid the long waiting time in the unreserved visa queue by investing in projects that qualify for these set-aside visas.
Rural EB-5 project investors can further speed up their Green Card process, as USCIS grants priority processing to rural I-526E petitions.
However, the supply of reserved visas is limited, and investors must start their EB-5 process as soon as possible to utilize this opportunity before these categories also become backlogged.
Embarking on the EB-5 Immigration Process
The EB-5 process is much smoother when investors have access to professional support. To understand the intricacies of the EB-5 program and minimize both financial and immigration risks, be sure to consult an experienced immigration attorney.
For real-life examples of how to go about each step of the EB-5 process, watch EB5AN’s investor interview series.
We also encourage you to schedule a free consultation with EB5AN to get all your questions answered personally by our expert team.
