Recently, news that U.S. EB-5 policies are facing adjustments and price increases are imminent has caused a stir in the immigration market. "Increasing from 500,000 to 750,000," "the final opportunity to apply," "the American Dream is brewing a price hike"... these buzzwords have flooded the media and the internet, prompting many individuals planning to invest and immigrate to the United States to call Worldway for consultation, with many investors even starting to advance their U.S. immigration plans.
Worldway Immigration's U.S. project analysts state that if a price increase occurs, there will be a transition period and a deadline. Even if prices were to rise immediately, the EB-5 projects currently being sold and promoted on the market would not be affected. Before the new policy is officially implemented, existing EB-5 projects will continue to operate under the original act, including the 500,000 USD investment threshold. Investors should avoid "seeking medical advice blindly" and instead focus on choosing robust EB-5 projects; doing thorough homework is key.
For a long time, compared to the multi-million dollar investment requirements of other countries, U.S. investment immigration has been very accessible. Applicants only need to invest 500,000 USD to obtain a U.S. Green Card for their entire family and enjoy the benefits of the world's leading power. The United States has always been a top choice for investment immigrants, and its immigration policy has remained relatively stable and lenient for many years.
As the saying goes, "the wealthy choose to immigrate, and with immigration comes the potential for price hikes." With the increasing number of applicants year by year, the surge in EB-5 applications has led to continuously lengthening processing times. Currently, the latest data on the official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website shows that the average processing time for I-526 has reached 15.7 months. Many people are beginning to worry: will the highly competitive U.S. investment immigration program follow the example of Canada and Singapore in adjusting its immigration thresholds?
USCIS official website shows I-526 average processing time is 15.7 months
According to analysis, U.S. investment immigration policy will not be influenced by the policies of other countries; the magnitude of the price increase has been clearly stated to be based on inflation over the past 5 years. National conditions vary, and there is no comparability between different immigration programs. As a risky investment, EB-5 at 500,000 USD is already a significant amount. U.S. investment immigration is classified under the EB category (Employment Based); it is not for the sake of money, but for the purpose of job creation. The original intention of the EB-5 Regional Center program is to leverage foreign investment to drive non-EB-5 investment in the U.S. The jobs created by both are what U.S. investment immigration policy truly seeks.
On May 30 of this year, USCIS issued the final version of the "EB-5 Adjudication Policy (Memorandum)," which comprehensively organized the confusion caused by policy manuals issued at different times. Previously ambiguous matters now have clear policy guidance, meaning that the approval of future EB-5 projects will be safer and more robust. USCIS has also added a new office location in Washington, D.C., while the original California office remains open. With the continuous reinforcement of experienced adjudicating officers, the approval process at all stages of EB-5 will accelerate. The recent increase in the number of Regional Centers approved by USCIS, which has already exceeded the total number for the entire previous year, is a prime example.
Therefore, regarding U.S. EB-5 policy adjustments and price increase issues, those planning to invest and immigrate to the U.S. need not lose confidence. It is believed that the processing speed of USCIS will accelerate in the future, and what investors need to do is choose a robust EB-5 project and submit their immigration applications in a timely manner. As a leading institution in U.S. investment immigration, Worldway will be the first to share the latest trends in U.S. EB-5 policy, ensuring that investment immigrants have access to the most authoritative information on U.S. investment immigration.
A small survey on EB-5 price increase publicity
