The current armed conflict between the United States and Israel against Iran has had significant repercussions on EB-5 investors across the Middle East.
“It’s not a great time for Iranians interested in the EB-5 program,” Farah Abbas of Abbas Law says.
New EB-5 applications from Iranian nationals had already decreased due to processing pauses affecting 75 countries and travel bans for 39 nations announced in early 2026. However, the application process was already complex for these individuals because of sanctions. This made it challenging to navigate complex money-transfer regulations and face extensive scrutiny from USCIS to prove that their funding sources were legitimate.
The recent conflict has further intensified the challenges faced by current Iranian EB-5 investors, leading to delays in administrative processing at the consular level and with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
According to Marcela Cividanes Gallic of Fragomen, “processing delays for EB‑5 applicants from certain nationalities, including Iran, have increased due to recent government actions, such as immigrant visa pauses and heightened scrutiny.”
Current visa operations involving EB-5 applications are suspended
When a country goes to war with the U.S., visa applications from its nationals can be suspended or restricted, leading to delays in processing immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Although in some cases, petitions can still be submitted and interviews scheduled, the actual issuance of visas typically halts, except for certain dual nationals.
Recently, due to the conflict, U.S. embassies and consulates in the Middle East, where many Iranians usually apply for visas, have limited their operations, resulting in canceled visa appointments.
“It has been a mess,” Kameli Taher of Kameli Law stated in an email to EB5Investors.com while traveling through the Persian Gulf amidst the conflict.
Iranian nationals with valid visas, including temporary green cards obtained through the EB-5 application process, may be subject to questioning and secondary inspection upon arrival in the U.S.
“Most of my Iranian EB‑5 cases are either stuck in administrative processing at the consular level—some dating back to the Biden Administration—or pending with USCIS, where processing times continue to experience significant delays,” says Sally Amirghahari of SA Law Group.
However, Amirghahari cautions that the delays at USCIS are not entirely due to the travel ban or any pause implemented by the Trump Administration.
“I believe the current backlog could also stem from a combination of the change in administration, the government shutdown, and other systemic factors affecting EB‑5 adjudications across the board, including other immigrant visas,” he said.
What EB-5 investors can do despite the conflict
Attorneys are being careful regarding the potential actions that Iranian nationals may take in light of the ongoing conflict.
Cividanes Gallic says it is common for concurrently filed cases “to remain pending without updates during these periods.”
Matthew Kolodziej of JIA Law Group is telling current Iranian clients who filed concurrently for EB-5 visas before the war began to remain in the U.S.
“We advise them not to leave the country while the adjustment of status application is pending. As an extra precaution, they should maintain their nonimmigrant visa status, such as H-1B worker or F-1 student status, as well, if possible,” Kolodziej says. “Even after receiving their residency, or green card, depending on the status of the conflict, we recommend international travel only in emergency situations until the conflict with Iran is resolved.
Concurrent filing allows investors already lawfully in the U.S. to submit their immigration petition (I-526E) and green card application (I-485) simultaneously,
Anthony Korda of The Kord Law Firm states that current Iranian petitioners residing outside the U.S. should “continue with the NVC process (i.e., complete the DS-260’s) but not yet pay the visa fees or upload documents until the pause is lifted.”
Until visa processing restarts for these nationals, Korda adds, “They should keep logging in to the visa account and ensure that the visa case remains ‘live’ and contact the NVC if there is a danger that the case will be cancelled for inactivity.”
“Iranians can start the process by filing the initial Form I-526 petition, which will help secure their Priority Date and their place in line once cases do move forward,” Abbas adds. “However, it’s unclear when that will happen, due to the war and also the 75-country Immigration Visa pause.”
Meanwhile, Amirghahari expresses caution about potential new restrictions on financial transactions with Iran amid the conflict.
“Under normal circumstances, I do not expect additional restrictions for routine, non-commercial transfers such as inheritances, gifts, or even EB-5 investment funds,” she adds. “However, given the current political environment, I am exercising significantly more caution than before.”
Although Iranian transactions fall under the General License framework, Amirghahari says she prefers to obtain a Specific License or seek interpretive guidance from the Office of Foreign Assets Control before proceeding to ensure compliance and minimize risk.
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