USCIS updates EB-5 visa processing amid slowing adjudication rates

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced updates to its visa availability approach for Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor, aimed at increasing processing efficiency and reducing backlogs. The Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO) plans to group petitions by new commercial enterprise (NCE) for those with filing dates on or before November 30, 2019, assigning them to the same adjudicators to streamline the queue.

Recent quarterly statistics for Q3 FY2026 indicate strong demand for the EB-5 program, with 1,665 total cases received, including 1,599 I-526E petitions. Approximately $4.18 billion in EB-5 capital was raised during the first three quarters of FY2026. India and China remain the primary investor markets, with nearly equal numbers of petitions filed.

Despite high demand, data shows a slowdown in I-526E adjudications and a decline in approval rates. The I-526E approval rate fell to 76% in Q3 FY2026, down from 94% in FY2025. Additionally, the number of denials has increased as the pending inventory grows.