As an EB-5 investor studying in the U.S., how can I get my combo card before I graduate?

Monitoring the monthly visa bulletins will be the only way, right now, to determine when you can file. As you may have seen, the movement of priority dates is inconsistent.

It appears that you may be chargeable to China because all other countries with this priority date are already current. If you are chargeable to China, unfortunately, the chances of reaching a 2017 priority date in the next year or so are slim. Hopefully, you are a STEM student which can, in certain circumstances provide over 36 months of employment authorization, provided you have an E-Verified employer willing to sponsor you.

If you filed the I-485 three years ago, this makes no sense as even though they are slow combo cards come in about 208 months; did you file I-765 and I-131 with the I-485?

It is impossible to know when your PD will become current. Further, the EB-5 unit at CSC is barely processing any AP/EAD applications, but hopefully this will change by the time you are eligible to file for AOS. There is always the continued education option if you must stay here and do not want to bother with H-1B.

In order to receive a combo card, which is the combined Employment Authorization Document ("EAD") and advance parole travel permit, you need to file an I-485, application to adjust status. In order to file an I-485, there must be an immigrant visa number immediately available, which is dependent on your priority date (I-526 filing date) and your country of birth. EB-5 investors born in China are subject to an August 2015 cut-off date, meaning immigrant visa numbers are not available for I-526 petitions filed after that date. Vietnam is also subject to a cut off date, but the countries in the rest of the world are not. The I-526 petition must be approved and priority date current in order to file I-485.