On July 14, 2016, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released its updated processing time information for the Immigrant Investor Program Office [PDF version]. This provides the average processing times as of May 31, 2016, for three important forms related to the EB5 immigrant investor program:
Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur;
Form I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions; and
Form I-924, Application for Regional Center Under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program.
The Immigrant Investor Program office advises that the information is only for the average case processing times of May 31, 2016. While these processing times provide a guide for how long an applicant may expect it to take for his or her EB5 form to be fully adjudicated, the release states that “some cases may take longer to process.” If an applicant’s Form I-526, Form I-829, or Form I-924 remains pending beyond the stated processing time frame, the release advises that the applicant may check his or her case status online or send an email to [email protected] for more information.
The following are the average Immigrant Investor Program Office case processing times as of May 31, 2016:
Average Processing Times for Immigrant Investor Program Office as of: May 31, 2016
| Form | Title | Classification or Basis for Filing: | Processing Cases As Of Date: |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-526 | Immigrant Petition By Alien Entrepreneur | For use by an entrepreneur who wishes to immigrate to the United States | 16.6 Month(s) |
| I-829 | Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions | Removal of lawful permanent resident conditions (immigrant investors) | 20.1 Month(s) |
| I-924 | Application For Regional Center Under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program | I924 — Application For Regional Center Under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program | 9.9 Month(s) |
Because applying to be an immigrant investor is complicated, it is important to consult with an experienced immigration attorney. Please see the “Investment Immigration” section of our website to learn about issues involving EB5 immigrant investors and about issues involving E1 and E2 nonimmigrants [see category].
To compare to the Immigrant Investor Program Office processing time report as of April 30, 2016, please see our article [see article].
