Processing Data
This page provides a home for the latest EB-5 form processing updates otherwise discussed in blog posts. I include charts summarizing the official performance data from quarterly reports on the USCIS Immigration & Citizenship Data page, and a few supplementary charts with more timely and granular leaked USCIS data.
Dates
- Page last updated April 4, 2024
- Officially-reported USCIS data as of FY2024 Q1 (ending December 31, 2023)
- Unofficially-obtained USCIS data through March 31, 2024
USCIS Reported EB-5 Form Data from FY2024 Q1 Data Report (October 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023)
| Form | Received | Approved | Denied | Total Processed | Pending | Processing Time |
| I-526 (Pre-RIA) | – | 694 | 388 | 1,082 | 8,539 | 51.8 |
| I-526 | 32 | – | – | – | 214 | N/A |
| I-526E | 581 | 194 | – | 194 | 2,667 | N/A |
| I-829 | 87 | 902 | 71 | 973 | 9,121 | 49.5 |
| I-956 | 33 | H | D | 89 | 170 | 10.4 |
| I-956F | 64 | H | D | 19 | 267 | 15.2 |
| I-956G | 231 | – | – | – | 292 | N/A |
| I-956H | 677 | – | – | – | 3,799 | N/A |
| I-956K | 184 | D | – | D | 801 | N/A |
I-526E and I-526 receipts by country and TEA category April 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023, according response to USCIS response to a FOIA request by AIIA
| China | India | Rest of World | Total | % Total | |
| Rural | 763 | 174 | 152 | 1,089 | 32% |
| High Unemployment | 1,007 | 389 | 786 | 2,182 | 63% |
| Multiple TEA Categories | 7 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 0% |
| Not TEA | 26 | 21 | 103 | 150 | 4% |
| Total | 1,803 | 587 | 1,047 | 3,437 | 100% |
| % Total | 52% | 17% | 30% | 100% |
Charts
EB-5 Updates 
PD Dec 18-26 2018 approvals are coming though in Dec 2022
I am so grateful to you for providing data and insight about I-829 approved and pending cases. I hope my turn comes soon as I have been waiting for this for 3 years.
Is there any source of data to find out waiting times for visa interviews at different embassies/consulates?
Anybody with experience of average waiting times for the consulate in Hong Kong?
Suzanne, do you know what steps are involved in “project review” after i829 is filed?
I do not currently know. But everything I find out about IPO processes, I add to this document that I update on an on-going basis: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9nhw2axfbkk6t20/IPO%20Times%20Quotes.docx?dl=0
Hi, we received a notification from USCIS that extends the validity of our I-551 Forms (Green Card) for 48 months from its expiration date. I believe this is to reduce the traffic to USCIS for Infopass appointments. I am not sure if it’s only for I-829 or applied to other processing types. We are 29 months in our I-829 processing time.
Hi I applied for my eb5 through Related / Hudson Yards. I hear they are not accepting any new investors. Is my 829 application safe even though they are not accepting new investors?
I applied via Related / Hudson Yards as well. We filed for I-829 in June 2020.
Unfortunately, Related is no longer responding to investor emails (even via generic investor relations email), and I am afraid something quite fishy is going on there.
Do you happen to have contact information for anyone at Related?
I suggest that you ask this question on social media and consider joining AIIA (https://goaiia.org/) to get access to their library of resources and connections to other Related investors.
I also applied the same project, what was the email did you contacted them, and when the last replied you’ve got from them? would you pls share if any, thanks
Hi, any luck in your I-829 processing status. I am guessing your priority date is around Oct-2020.
Hello All,
Received my I-526 Approval for Priority Date: Feb 08, 2019.
Congratulations Rahul. My priority date is 8th May, 2019. Did you get any notification when they picked your case or you got to know on visa approval?
Thanks Pramod, I got to know when I received my approval notice for my I-526 petition.
Thanks Rahul for your reply.
Hi Pramod,
Did you get your approval yet?
Thanks.
Hi Rahul,
My priority date 20 Nov 2019, do you applied as Indian resident and through RC or as Direct investor.
Hi Nitin,
I applied as a RC Investor
Does anybody know why the I-526 processing time listed on https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/ is shorter for “India” than for “All other areas”?
I’ve been looking for an answer to this question for quite some time.
Anyone here have applied N400 while I829 is still pending?
No but I am planning to. Will it help to expedite the I-829 processing ?
you can apply n-400 while 829 is pending but n-400 will not be approved until 829 os approved
Thank you for updating unofficial intel. It is encouraging to see the monthly processing volume trending up. I am still positive. However as a post RIA investor from rest of world, our only hope is USCIS creates a separate queue for reserved visa category, as you mentioned in another post.
Lol, yes, a way to jump the queue for a select group! Those of us who have been in the system for many years prior to RIA (also from rest of world) will really think it’s fair. I think if that happens, I will also be throwing pizzas at the white house 😀
One of my friend, whose PD was May 2019 got I526 approval in 48 months.
got I-526 approval in 45.5 months
@h: What was ur PD date? Direct or RC investor?
It shows the processing time for I-829 as 46.5 months. I have already completed 40 months of wait therefore do I deserve to hope my case completion within next year ?
my 829 passed 56 moths but still pending.
I hear that Mandamus lawsuits are still succeeding for I-829, if you’d like to try that option. (The wide date distribution of I-829 approvals also likely reflects the impact of Madamus litigation.)
Same here, have waited 56 months. After waiting how many months would we have legal ground to file Mandamus lawsuit? Do you have any post describing that process?
Just received our I-526 approval!
Our first I-526 (PD 2016) was denied due to the RC making a partial investment outside of the approved TEA area.
This one had PD of 15 Nov. 2019 and we are from the “rest of the world” category.
So…. almost 7 years and lots of $$, but here we are, thankful for the positive result.
If you do not have patience, I suggest looking into other avenues or be prepared to learn the virtue of patience.
Thank you Suzanne for all the information along the road!
ps. anybody have an idea how long the visa process will take? We are (now) based in the Netherlands.
The his is good data to look at, does that mean there is not data available about post RIA 526E decisions yet?
Unfortunately, I have not found anyone able to aggregate case-specific data for I-526E yet.
Hello Suzanne,
Any approximation on how much time it would take for I-526 (pre-RIA) if the status shows “Correspondence was received and USCIS is reviewing your case”.
PD: Dec2021, Status change: August2023
Pre-RIA I-526 for a direct investment with the priority date of January 21, 2022, from the rest of the world. 26 months are gone without any change in status.
Any suggestions based on the current processing time.
Unfortunately you will have to get used to endless waiting at every step of the process. 26 months is an instant in the world of EB-5 and US visas.
True but I-526 filed in December 2021 got a status change in August 2023 and that too from India. I-526 petitioners from the rest of world should have a better processing time than India and China. It does not look like that visa availability approach is in play although USCIS says so. Only 118 visas were granted so far for my country since 2014.
My i-829, filed on 19th August 2020 was approved on 27th March 2024. The RC had 4 or 5 previously approved 829s. Thanks to this blog for being the only reliable source of data during the wait
I am Pre-RIA I-526, direct investment. Submitted on early March 2022 and from the rest of the world.
My status is “Case Was Received” and no changes yet.
Same here. PD January 2022. No change in status.