The alarm has sounded!
The EB-5 Grandfather Clause enters its final year countdown
By September 30, 2026, the EB-5 Grandfather Clause will expire
This means that investors have opened the last window of policy protection for a final sprint
The opportunity is right in front of them; missing this year may result in significantly higher costs in the future
Grandfather Clause—The "Umbrella" of Protection for Investors
The current EB-5 program was reauthorized in 2022. According to the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, the EB-5 program has been explicitly written into law and includes a "Grandfather Clause".
This clause stipulates: All EB-5 applications submitted before September 30, 2026, will not be affected by future legal and policy changes and will continue to be processed according to the current rules.
In other words, this is an "umbrella" of protection for investors—regardless of how future policies change, applications submitted before September 30, 2026, can proceed steadily and complete the immigration process according to the original policies.
However, the validity period of this umbrella is now entering its final year countdown.
What happens if the Grandfather Clause is missed?
What will happen?
• Loss of protection: If laws are modified or the program is suspended in the future, new applications will not enjoy the current rules.
• Investment amounts may increase: Although the minimum investment threshold for EB-5 currently remains at $800,000, this is not permanently fixed. According to the adjustment mechanism of the new 2022 law, future investment amounts will be adjusted every five years based on the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI). The next adjustment will occur on January 1, 2027, and it is expected that the minimum investment amount for TEA projects may increase from $800,000 to $900,000 or even higher.
• Priority date warning: The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has issued a warning at the beginning of 2025 that the new EB-5 policy reserved categories will soon have priority dates, and the current "no priority date + dual submission" golden window may end at any time.
• Increased uncertainty: Policy tightening, quota competition, and priority date risks may all bring additional risks, even leading to missed immigration windows.
Key Point: Missing the Grandfather Clause means higher costs and greater uncertainty.
It seems like a year, but it is actually more urgent
The legally defined deadline: September 30, 2026
Actual submission preparation period: Project selection, funding planning, attorney review, and material submission all require time
Priority date advantage: The earlier the submission, the earlier the priority date is locked
Therefore, it seems like there is still a year, but the truly operable window is actually far less than 12 months.
The final sprint moment
Recently, the U.S. immigration and study abroad policy environment has been fluctuating frequently, increasing uncertainty. The application fee for H-1B has skyrocketed by $100,000, and it will shift from a purely random lottery to a weighted selection system based on wage levels by raising the "wage standard." This means that high-paying positions will have an increased chance of selection, while mid- to low-paying positions will almost completely lose their opportunities;
In addition, F/J and OPT are tightening, the F-1 visa will become a fixed term, and the OPT program also faces the risk of being reduced or even canceled. Non-immigrant visa interviews must be conducted in the home country or long-term residence country, etc. Whether future policies will tighten again remains uncertain. This moment is the golden period for investors to immigrate to the United States and secure their status.
The EB-5 program is like a train that is about to depart:
Get on now → Protected by the Grandfather Clause, locking in the $800,000 threshold;
Hesitate and wait → Facing price increases, priority dates, and policy fog.
For investing families, this is not only an opportunity to apply for U.S. status but also the last sprint window.
The earlier the submission, the more secure!
Sprint Strategy:
Efficient action, choose quality projects
In the current urgent situation, choosing quality projects is crucial. Currently, the two high-quality rural projects selected by WorldWay are highly favored:
• "Great Smoky Mountains Marriott Hotel" EB-5 Rural Project:
Combining numerous advantages, approximately 1.5 times real estate first-position guarantee + developer shareholders providing unlimited joint liability repayment guarantees with personal assets; a $10 billion fund provides guarantees for I-956F rejections, I-526E rejections, and job creation guarantees; job multiples as high as 1.7 times; the project is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which attracts millions of visitors, far exceeding Yellowstone; situated in the precious town of Gatlinburg, where every room is hard to come by; the project has commenced construction, and the hotel development has entered a substantial construction phase, with transparent supervision and regular progress reports, making it your family's preferred choice for quick acquisition of a U.S. green card without priority dates.
• "Florida Lakeside Jewish Community" Project:
Having achieved I-956F, I-526E, and green card "three approvals," the project is currently under full construction, with only a few precious spots remaining, first come, first served, so please act quickly if interested.
For inquiries in mainland China: 400-138-2929, Hong Kong customer service center: (852)2802 8798
