Highlights of EB5AN’s Interview Series: “My Secret for a Fast I-526E Approval”

An I-526E approval is a major turning point in the EB-5 process. It is the step that clears the path to apply for conditional permanent residence—either through adjustment of status in the United States or through consular processing abroad, depending on your situation and visa availability.

With conditional permanent residence (your initial Green Card) comes the practical freedom that attracts so many families to EB-5 in the first place: the ability to live anywhere in the United States, work for any employer (or no employer at all), and build a life without the constant renewals, restrictions, and uncertainty that come with temporary visas such as H-1Bs. It also makes travel much simpler, since you are no longer trying to plan your life around short-term status timelines and sponsorship requirements.

And today, the incentive to pursue a strong I-526E filing is stronger than ever. Under the current EB-5 policies, many investors in rural EB-5 projects have seen approvals move faster than the market was used to in the past, often in around 12 months or less. No timeline is guaranteed, but the pattern is clear: the right strategy can materially improve both immigration outcomes and peace of mind.

For new EB-5 investors who want to start the immigration process and reach that approval as quickly as possible, there is real value in learning directly from people who have already done it successfully. Investor interviews show how real families evaluated projects, what they prioritized, what questions they asked, and how they decided on factors like regional center quality, project financial strength, and rural eligibility for priority processing.

That is why EB5AN created our Investor Interview Series—now with more than 20 full-length conversations with investors from around the world. We did this because education matters in EB-5. The market is crowded, and investors deserve more than just marketing claims. They deserve to hear how other investors actually made decisions, what worked for them, and what they would do again.

This post is the seventh installment in our new series that revisits some of the most compelling interviews in our library and focuses on the most important parts of the EB-5 investment process. Here, we focus on one goal: obtaining a fast I-526E approval. In the excerpts that follow, investors share the specific choices they believe helped them move quickly—how they chose a regional center, why project structure mattered, and why rural TEA status played a central role.

We also invite you to watch these highlights in the following compilation video featuring our investors’ key responses.

Watch All EB-5 Investor Testimonials

Choosing a Strong EB-5 Regional Center

“EB5AN was actually one of the first regional centers I contacted. And afterwards, I think I spoke to maybe three or four more. But what really stood out was, first of all, I mean you are one of the founders and I contacted you and you almost immediately responded, it was very easy to get on a call with you and that wasn’t the situation with the other regional centers. So even though I spoke to very knowledgeable, friendly, and experienced people, I never spoke to any of the principals or founders in any of the other regional centers. So I thought that was already a big difference. EB5AN seems very transparent in that perspective and also obviously super responsive, very professional in your approach and the communication. I don’t think it ever took longer than three to four hours before I got a response from you. So that was amazing. That really appealed to me.”— Daria (Twin Lakes Rural)

Daria’s comments highlight one of the most consistent themes across fast-approval investors: direct access to the people responsible for the project and the filing process. Investors who reached decision-makers quickly were able to clarify questions, confirm project details, and prepare materials without long pauses. A regional center that responds within hours instead of days keeps the entire I-526E preparation phase moving. When investors emphasize rapid communication as part of their strategy, they are pointing to something practical: the quality of the filing package often depends on timely document exchange, clarity about project structure, and accurate job-creation documentation. A responsive regional center shortens the feedback cycle on all of this.

“We spoke with a lot of different regional centers, at least one conversation. And obviously, we went with EB5AN, your regional center.

And I think the first and foremost thing for us, which clicked very well, was the focus on educating the investors themselves. Your website … And I did mention this last year as well I know. Your website has a lot of information, great information. So that focus on educating the investors, that really clicked. I did not find any other regional center with that kind of depth, that kind of information. So that was really important, and that worked very well. All the testimonials, like this conversation that we are having—we went through a lot of other testimonials that were there in your website back then, and that worked well. That was super helpful.

I think the other piece is all the regional centers we spoke with, we had a conversation with one of an employee, but here I’m talking to you now. You are one of the partners in the company. And the response rate, kudos to you—whether it’s weekend or weekdays, I think we got a response to all the questions pretty quickly. So that worked very well.” — Gurpreet (Twin Lakes Rural)

Education plays a direct role in filing efficiency. Investors who had access to detailed materials—capital-stack explanations, job-creation methodology, construction status, repayment terms—were able to start their attorney consultations with fewer gaps. That made the source-of-funds process and project-documentation review more straightforward. When a regional center has already published the answers to most of the questions investors will ask, the investor’s attorney can prepare a clean, fully documented filing without the back-and-forth that slows many cases. This is why investors emphasize choosing a regional center that has done similar projects before and has a record of successful petitions. A fast approval often reflects both the strength of the filing and the adjudicator’s confidence that the project is what it claims to be.

“When I came across regional centers, at least the regional centers that I was investigating, I was very particular about trying to find a regional center that ensured that my funds were paid back. And I looked at EB5AN, and it stood out to me for multiple reasons. One, it had a 100% USCIS approval rate, which was huge. … But when I came across EB5AN and all the work that you did, I just knew that you had a really good track record, and it was something that I felt very safe going with.” — Karthik (Twin Lakes Rural)

Investors also link regional center selection to approval speed through a different mechanism: credibility. A consistent approval history, clear project documentation, and well-defined economic studies reduce uncertainties in the adjudicator’s review. When a filing reflects a project with stable fundamentals and an established track record, the adjudicator spends less time questioning assumptions or requesting clarifications. This is why investors emphasize choosing a regional center that has done similar projects before and has a record of successful petitions. A fast approval often reflects both the strength of the filing and the adjudicator’s confidence that the project is what it claims to be.

Selecting a Rural Project to Benefit from Priority Processing

“And in terms of rural, and I mean not from… I don’t know whether it probably matters more for investors coming from countries where there’s a backlog, but I was definitely, I was originally already hoping not to have to wait too long before my approval and obviously what’s happened now as well, but fast processing was definitely a factor for me as well.” — Daria

Rural eligibility is one of the clearest strategic decisions investors cite when explaining their fast approvals. Rural projects receive priority processing under the current EB-5 framework, and adjudicators routinely process these cases more quickly. For investors from countries without visa backlogs, rural designation still matters because it shortens the overall immigration timeline. For those from backlogged countries, it can be essential. Daria’s case shows how rural placement provided her with the processing stability she wanted, even though she was not subject to a quota backlog.

“I was told when I applied that I would get my EAD in about 60 days, which I did, and my 526 [I-526E] in 12 months, which is exactly what happened for me. So I got mine in exactly 12 months. And both of those factors were key in me choosing a rural project, because processing times for people from my country of origin are just ridiculously long. So I needed to pick something that in a way just expedited the whole thing. So yes, picking a rural project for the EB-5 for me was very important, and I’m happy that I picked such a good one.” — Karthik

For investors from high-demand countries such as India and China, rural selection is often the only viable strategy for avoiding multi-year delays. Rural processing not only accelerates adjudication but also aligns with the reserved 20% visa set-aside, which protects investors from the backlog that affects other categories. Karthik framed rural selection as the factor that made his entire immigration strategy possible.

“The second thing was it has to be a rural project. My country of birth is India, and by the time I would apply for any other category, not only right now there is a long wait time, I’d probably be joining the back of that back line. And for me to have that opportunity within even EB-5 category, to have 20% set-aside visa for rural area, that was more important. And that’s why I felt, for my EB-5 project investment, rural area was the right place.” — Hardik (Twin Lakes Rural)

Hardik expands on this point by tying rural designation not only to processing times but also to visa availability. For investors from India, the combination of priority adjudication and the rural visa set-aside creates a pathway that remains open regardless of demand in other categories. His remarks show how fast I-526E approvals often come from a strategy that aligns adjudication speed with larger visa supply.

Investors who need predictable timelines consistently choose rural projects because the rules give them immigration advantages that no urban TEA project can match.

Projects with Strong Job Creation

“As I mentioned, the central premise of the EB-5 program itself is to stimulate the U.S. economy through investment and job creation. So job creation was definitely a major factor in decision-making. … And knowing that the job creation targets were already met significantly reduced the risk, and that added confidence to my choice.” — Felix (Snake River Rural)

“For the Twin Lakes project specifically, all the jobs had been created already, and that was big, because there were so many other regional centers that I had come across and projects where they were taking your money but construction hadn’t even begun. So that was a giant red flag.” — Karthik

“I felt, for me, [job creation] that was probably my number one criteria when I was looking into projects, when I narrowed down what type of project I was looking for.” — Hardik

Completed job creation is one of the strongest indicators of project stability. Investors who choose projects already far along in construction eliminate the delays associated with adjudicators verifying job projections or checking construction timelines. Karthik’s comments show how he avoided projects with early-stage uncertainty.

Evaluating Capital Structure and Financial Strength

“The financial [aspect] is the main part of it, because Twin Lakes’ [capital structure] has around 16% of EB-5 investment and everything else is secured by the bank loans. That was the part that you can trust that the project it going to happen, regardless of the EB-5 investment. And that’s how, though your money is at risk, but it is still safe. There are good chances that it won’t fail or it won’t hurt the process of EB-5.” — Milan (Twin Lakes Rural)

A financially strong capital structure is a positive sign for any EB-5 project. Adjudicators examine whether the project’s capital structure is compliant with USCIS policies When a bank has already underwritten the majority of the capital stack, it sends a strong signal that the project has passed third-party financial scrutiny. Milan’s reasoning shows why investors prefer projects with substantial bank financing: it reduces uncertainty.

“I think the combination of EB5AN and Kolter was very attractive to me because of the impeccable track record and the longstanding relationship you have with Kolter. So I was definitely interested in investing in one of your Kolter projects.” — Daria

Track record is a financial factor as much as an operational one. The Kolter Group, a developer with a history of delivering similar projects on time and within budget gives adjudicators less to question. Investors regularly cite developer strength as contributing to approval speed because the project’s credibility helps the adjudicator evaluate the risk profile quickly. Daria’s trust in the EB5AN–Kolter partnership reflects a broader pattern among investors who received fast approvals: they aligned themselves with teams already known for execution and predictability.

The Benefits of a Fast I-526E Approval

“Before I got my I-526E approved, I noticed that for Twin Lakes project, the fastest approval was nine months roughly, I think, nine, nine and a half months. And when I saw that, I started calculating when are my nine and a half months done. So I should start looking into it, let me see am I getting approved soon or not. So every day I would … I have my case on one of those apps that would give you an update without me logging into USCIS website.

I saw a notification that “There is an update on your 526E case.” And I opened it, and it was to my surprise approved, with some fireworks and stuff.

So I was actually very excited and very happy to see. The first thing I informed was my lawyer. And before I got the notification in the mail, she received it electronically I believe, so she forwarded it to me. Yeah, that was really exciting, because I know now I’m already in line to receive that Green Card.” — Hardik

Investors often pay attention to prior approvals before deciding on a project. When a project has accumulated a series of fast approvals, it signals that USCIS is comfortable with the documentation and has reviewed similar cases before. Hardik monitored the earliest approvals at Twin Lakes and treated them as indicators of how his own case might move. Investors use these patterns to validate that their strategy is aligned with current adjudication behavior. When they choose correctly, their experience tends to mirror the prior approvals.

“With the Green Card, now I know that, once I have my Green Card, it not only allows me flexibility in terms of jobs, I believe there are a lot of opportunities. It also expands more opportunity, because eventually I do plan to get my Green Card converted into citizenship. And when I do that, I open up a lot more opportunity because a lot of the companies require citizenship of the country before they can allow someone to work. So that’s one.

The other is it opens a lot more doors for my kids now, because now they’re also eligible. They will receive their Green Card in future, whether they want to stay in U.S. or outside somewhere, at least they have that option, that they don’t have to worry about staying here or getting their own visa after they turn 21. So that is probably biggest.” — Hardik

Once the I-526E is approved, the path to permanent residency becomes much more certain. Investors can make decisions about work, family, and long-term residence with confidence.

Multiple EB5AN Investors Receive I-526E Approvals in 12 Months or Less

“I would say [my I-526E approval took] eight and a half months, close to eight and a half months. Yeah, that was the time period, from the time of submission to approval.” — Felix

“They received my [I-526E] application the 1st of August and I received the approval on April 2nd. So it was exactly eight months and a day. That was even much quicker than I would’ve hoped for. It was very quick and I’m super pleased with the outcome.” — Daria

Get on the Path to a Fast I-526E Approval

Fast I-526E approvals are the result of a sound investment decision. The investors featured here did not rely on timing or chance. They selected rural projects with priority processing, chose regional centers with proven approval histories, as well as USCIS-compliant projects. Each decision reduced uncertainty for both the investor and USCIS, which is what ultimately moves a case forward. As EB5AN managing partner Sam Silverman puts it: “When investors focus on fundamentals—real projects, real jobs, and clear documentation—USCIS doesn’t have to guess. Clean filings get clean decisions, and that’s what drives faster approvals.”

For more information on getting started on the EB-5 process, schedule a free consultation with EB5AN.