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Washington: The US State Department has provided some respite for Indian EB-5 category visa applicants. The date of final action for Indians in the unreserved EB-5 visa category has now been extended by six months. This increase in the dates of final action comes in the backdrop of the escalating backlog of applications for other US visa categories. As of July 2025, there were over 11 million cases awaiting adjudication in the US immigration system which includes Indian H-1B visa holders and family-based green card applicants.
The US EB-5 visa is an immigrant investor program under the employment-based fifth preference category. It permits foreign nationals to make an investment of at least $800,000 (approximately Rs 7 crore) in a qualifying US enterprise. However, that enterprise must generate a minimum of 10 jobs for US citizens. In addition, this also provides a pathway for the applicant to attain a green card.
EB-5 is growing in popularity
The EB-5 Visa extends to the investor, their spouse, and children who are unmarried and under 21 years old. Once approved, the family receives a U.S. green card. Applicants from designated categories typically receive green cards within two to three years. In such cases, the visa program is becoming increasingly attractive for Indian families wanting a more straightforward route to a green card.
This year in April, the action cut-off date for India was escalated to unreserved EB-5 visa’s issuance due to overwhelming submissions. Now, it was announced to further extend it until the August 2025 bulletin. The designations Unreserved EB-5 comprise investments located beyond high unemployment or rural regions.
The jump in inquiries from Indian nationals is attributed to AIIA (American Immigrant Investor Alliance) as in-demand since april 2024. Analytics suggest that Indian EB-5 petition filings reached over 1790 since october 2022. At this pace, india is projected to surpass the 2000 mark in filings by the close of FY 2025.
EB-5 visas are more popular amongst Indians compared to H-1B or student visas. There is increasing ambiguity concerning the situation with temporary visas. Investors, in particular, have a much easier option with EB-5. For Indian applicants, one of the most important advantages of EB-5 visas is that it eliminates the need for employer sponsorship and the lottery system.
