The EB5AN team was pleased to participate in the 2026 AILA Annual Conference and Webcast (AC26), held June 17 to 20 at the Marriott Marquis and Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California.
The annual conference is the flagship event of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), drawing thousands of immigration attorneys, law professors, paralegals, students, and industry professionals for four days of continuing education, policy discussion, and professional development. EB5AN senior leadership was available throughout the conference at the Marriott Marquis, engaging directly with practitioners on EB-5 investment immigration and its role in residency planning strategies.
About the 2026 AILA Annual Conference
EB-5 Topics Discussed at the Booth
EB-5 Investment Immigration in a Broader Residency Strategy Context
Engagement With Immigration Practitioners
EB5AN Representation at AC26
Strengthening Collaboration in the Immigration Community
About the 2026 AILA Annual Conference
AC26 featured more than 120 sessions. Programming spanned six tracks covering areas from removal defense and humanitarian law to employment-based immigration, worksite enforcement, and practice management.
For EB5AN, the conference is a direct line to the attorneys who advise investor clients, which makes it a useful setting for detailed conversations about where EB-5 fits among the residency options those attorneys present.
EB-5 Topics Discussed at the Booth
The EB5AN team engaged with attorneys and advisors on a range of subjects related to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. Discussions reflected both foundational questions from practitioners newer to investment immigration and more technical inquiries from those already advising investor clients.
Key areas of discussion included:
- EB-5 eligibility requirements and the overall investment and application process
- Concurrent filing and adjustment of status (AOS) strategies for eligible applicants
- Rural and high-unemployment targeted employment area (TEA) set-aside visa categories and their advantages for investors from backlogged countries
- Current EB5AN regional center projects available for investment
- Recent USCIS processing trends and approval data
- Strategies for managing visa backlogs and retrogression, particularly for nationals of China and India
A recurring theme across these conversations was the practical importance of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA) and how its provisions, including reserved visa categories, updated TEA designation rules, and concurrent filing eligibility, continue to shape how attorneys structure filings and advise on timing.
EB-5 Investment Immigration in a Broader Residency Strategy Context
A theme throughout AC26 was the increasing complexity of long-term immigration planning for foreign nationals in employment-based categories. Sessions addressing H-1B strategy, PERM processing delays, and litigation trends highlighted the uncertainty that many visa holders face when relying solely on employer-sponsored pathways to permanent residency.
In this context, EB-5 continues to occupy a distinct and strategically important position. As employment-based categories face growing backlogs, heightened adjudication standards, and regulatory volatility, EB-5 offers qualifying investors a route to permanent residency that is independent of employer sponsorship and labor market testing. For practitioners advising clients on H-1B or F-1 OPT status who face uncertainty around long-term sponsorship, EB-5 can function as a parallel or alternative strategy rather than a last resort.
Engagement With Immigration Practitioners
Beyond the formal conference sessions, AC26 provided a valuable opportunity for direct engagement between EB5AN and practicing immigration attorneys from across the country. These conversations often surface practical insights about client demand, case strategy, and market conditions that are harder to capture through other channels.
Practitioners at the booth noted continued and in some cases growing client interest in alternative pathways to permanent residency, particularly among individuals affected by H-1B lottery uncertainty, PERM processing delays, or shifting employment circumstances. For this population, the ability to pursue residency through a qualifying investment, on a timeline that does not depend on employer action, represents a meaningful planning advantage.
Attorneys also raised questions about project evaluation and due diligence, reflecting a practitioner focus on helping clients make well-informed investment decisions. Discussions covered job creation methodology, capital structure, the track record of project sponsors, and how EB-5 offerings should be assessed relative to current USCIS adjudication standards.
EB5AN Representation at AC26
EB5AN was represented at the conference by three members of its senior leadership team, each available at Booth #717 throughout the event:
- Ahmed Khan, Senior Vice President
- Jake Hoyle, Senior Vice President
- Mila de Olano, Vice President of LatAm Business Development
The team engaged with immigration attorneys from across the country to discuss EB-5 program developments, current project offerings, and how investment-based immigration fits into the long-term residency strategies of international investors.
Strengthening Collaboration in the Immigration Community
Events like the AILA Annual Conference provide an important forum for collaboration between regional center operators, immigration attorneys, and the broader practitioner community. The exchange of ideas on topics ranging from federal policy changes to adjudication trends helps support more informed client representation and strengthens the working relationships that effective EB-5 practice depends on.
EB5AN operates 10+ USCIS-authorized regional centers covering the continental United States. EB5AN’s participation at AC26 reflects the firm’s ongoing commitment to working closely with legal professionals, contributing to conversations about investment immigration structure and strategy, and ensuring that its project offerings remain aligned with both regulatory requirements and investor expectations.
More than 3,000 families from over 70 countries have selected EB-5 projects sponsored by EB5AN regional centers. Our expert team has more than a decade of experience and offers clients high-quality, low-risk EB-5 regional center projects with a 100% USCIS project approval rate.
If you would like to know more about your EB-5 investment options, book a free call with our expert team today.