First Official EB-5 Processing Data of 2026 Reveals Green Card Countdown

Recently, the American Immigrant Investor Alliance (AIIA) obtained internal USCIS processing data through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, providing detailed statistics on EB-5 petitions as of July 31, 2025. The data is broken down by Targeted Employment Areas (TEA), applicant nationality, and filing dates, showing receipt, approval, and denial numbers. This information fully reveals the processing status of the EB-5 Regional Center Program under the new RIA regulations over the past three years. Considering the latest Visa Bulletin trends at the start of 2026, it's clear that the EB-5 program has officially entered a “backlog management” phase.

1. Basic Data Analysis

From April 2022 to July 2025, there were 13,520 EB-5 applications worldwide:

● 6,582 (48.6%) were for High Unemployment Area (HUA) projects

● 6,406 (47.3%) were for Rural projects

● The number of applicants choosing HUA or Rural projects was roughly equal.

Out of the total 13,520 applications, 3,555 have been adjudicated:

● 2,881 (81%) were Rural project petitions

● 558 (16%) were HUA project petitions

It’s evident that USCIS is prioritizing Rural cases for processing.

Approval rates are strong for both categories:

● HUA: 545 approvals and 13 denials — about 98% approval rate

● Rural: 2,819 approvals and 62 denials — about 98% approval rate

Both categories maintain a very high success rate of around 98%.

2. Processing Progress

AIIA’s data shows the following processing milestones as of July 2025:

● For HUA projects, priority dates reaching Q4 of 2022 were processed, with Chinese applicants processed up to this point. Notably, Indian applicants have progressed faster, with processing up to Q2 2024. This may be due to many Indians in the U.S. suing USCIS over delays or could be a strategic agency decision.

● For Rural projects, priority dates have advanced to Q1 2025, with similar progress for Chinese and Indian applicants.

3. Country Trends

The main applicant countries under the new EB-5 rules are:

● China (Mainland): 50.9% of total applications

● India: 22.1%

● Taiwan: 4.1%

● Followed by South Korea, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, and others.

However, the U.S. government recently announced an indefinite suspension starting January 21, 2026, on immigrant visa applications from 75 countries, including Russia, Brazil, Thailand, Cambodia, Iran, and Somalia. This visa ban could potentially free up green card quotas for applicants from non-restricted countries to get a larger share.

4. Visa Bulletin Forecast for 2026

As of February 2026, all three reserved categories under the new EB-5 rules (Rural, HUA, and Infrastructure) remain current (no backlog dates) on the Visa Bulletin.

Visa bulletin dates depend on many factors — including application volume, approval numbers, visa allocation, and processing speed — and currently, some information remains unavailable for precise prediction.

Based on AIIA’s data through July 2025:

● Total approvals worldwide are about 3,393 petitions

● Assuming each petition covers 2 family members, about 6,800 green card slots would be needed

● For FY 2025, EB-5 reserved visa allocation was 3,408 slots

● Assuming FY 2026 has a similar allocation, about 6,816 green card slots should be available.

Meanwhile, according to IIUSA’s statistics through May 2025, only 568 EB-5 new rule green cards were issued by U.S. consulates globally (USCIS off-shore green card numbers are not published). This indicates actual green card issuance is far below the available quota.

This supports AIIA’s conclusion: the chances of official backlog dates appearing on the Visa Bulletin for Rural or HUA categories in the first half of 2026 are very slim because green card use is much lower than visa supply, leaving many green cards unallocated.

5. Practical Advice for Investors

● Lock in Your Priority Date Early

●  Submit your application early to secure your priority date and protect yourself against future backlog changes.Watch the “Grandfather Clause”

●  The RIA rules in effect now will remain legally protected for investment petitions filed before September 30, 2026, regardless of future law changes. Locking in before this deadline is in your best interest.Take Advantage of “Concurrent Filing”

 When the Visa Bulletin shows “Current” (no backlog), applicants inside the U.S. can file Form I-526E and I-485 concurrently. This lets you get your work permit (EAD) and travel document (AP) within 3-6 months, securing your legal status, work authorization, and travel freedom while waiting for green cards.

The EB-5 new program is moving from startup to mature accelerated processing. While the data advises caution, the current no-backlog window and concurrent filing benefits present a rare opportunity for families seeking U.S. residency.

Globevisa has been deeply engaged in the EB-5 field for over 15 years with over 50 integrated offices across six states worldwide, helping more than 5,000 families apply for U.S. green cards. Since the launch of the EB-5 new regulations in 2022, Globevisa has successfully supported over 20 EB-5 projects, achieving monthly group filings exceeding 30 petitions and record-fast filing times as short as 21 days. We hold IIUSA membership and are ranked among the global top 25 EB-5 agencies. Globevisa is honored to receive the “2024 I-829 Approval Contribution Award” and “2024 I-526 Approval Contribution Award.” Trust Globevisa to guide your EB-5 journey and start your American life today!

Source:

AIIA FOIA Series: Updated I-526E Inventory Statistics for July 2025 | AIIA