In the December Visa Bulletin, the Department of State (DOS) has advanced the final action dates for EB-5 investors from China and India, as well as the filing dates for Chinese investors in the Unreserved category.
The last time these dates progressed was in August 2025.
For Indian petitioners in the Unreserved category, the Final Action Date advanced five months to July 1, 2021. The filing date for Indian applicants stays April 1, 2022.
Meanwhile, the Final Action Date for Chinese EB-5 applicants in the Unreserved category advanced more than seven months to July 15, 2016. The filing date for this nationality also progressed three weeks to July 22, 2016.
The filing and final action dates for countries other than India and China remain current in the Unreserved category, as well as all the EB-5 set-aside categories.
There is also no sign yet of a backlog in set-asides that the DOS cautioned in early 2025.
Why is it important that EB-5 dates advance?
The advancement of these dates is a result of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) managing visa number usage more effectively.
It is essential for final action dates to progress, as this indicates quicker processing of applications, reducing waiting times for eligible petitioners and increasing visa availability, especially for countries with high demand, such as India and China.
The dates reported in the visa bulletin every month allow EB-5 applicants and their legal advisors to plan their applications more effectively.
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