Applicants to the U.S. EB-5 visa program may face longer wait times after the government said all immigrant visas in the Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) unreserved category for fiscal year 2025 were issued as of Sept. 16.
The October Visa Bulletin shows continuing backlogs in the EB-5 “unreserved” category. For China, the cutoff date remains Dec. 8, 2015, while India advances by nearly 15 months, from Nov. 15, 2019, to Feb. 1, 2021. All other countries remain current.
The limit covers 68% of visas available in unreserved categories, plus unused reserved visas carried over from fiscal 2023 under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022. The quota is set to reset on Oct. 1, 2025, when the new fiscal year will begin and additional visas will become available.
READ: ‘EB-5, a safe golden window for Indian investors in Trump era’: Indian American attorney says (
The EB-5 program also reserves a share of visas for targeted investments: 20% for rural projects, 10% for high-unemployment areas, and 2% for infrastructure projects.
Created under the Immigration Act of 1990, the EB-5 visa offers foreign investors a pathway to permanent residency in exchange for job-creating investments in the United States. The program requires a minimum investment of $1.8 million, or $900,000 in targeted employment areas with high unemployment or in rural regions. Each investment must generate or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers. Investors, their spouses and unmarried children under 21 are eligible to apply.
READ: US visa hopes rekindled: Indians see notable gains in EB-3 and EB-5 (
Between 2016 and 2019, EB-5 investments created an average of 45 American jobs per investor and generated $1.6 million in additional private investment, according to an analysis by the consulting firm Fourth Economy. In that period, the program spurred $75.2 billion in total investments, supported 1.7 million jobs and contributed $184 billion to GDP, including $122 billion in wages. Jobs linked to the EB-5 program paid an average of nearly $74,000, compared with the $50,000 average wage across private industries reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Applicants must ensure their investments meet job creation requirements to secure permanent residency. As with any investment, funds are at risk, and processing times can stretch several years, especially for applicants from countries facing visa backlogs.
The EB-5 program remains a significant gateway for global investors seeking U.S. residency, but with this year’s cap already reached, new applicants will likely face delays until the next fiscal year.