What is the current EB-5 wait time for Chinese investors who files I-526 petitions right now? How long can he get his immigrant visa?
While all efforts are being to reduce the effects of retrogression, the waiting period for the Chinese petitions of I-526 is still close to 3 years. However, based on the information provided from the EB-5 administrative officials, the reality is for a petition to move through the process it may take between 10 and 15 years.
It changes all the time and depends on what regional center or private project you use.
The estimated wait time for an immigrant visa number for a China-born EB-5 investor could be up to 15 years, but that estimate is subject to change depending on demand for EB-5 visa numbers, which is likely to drop dramatically. You have to check the U.S. State Department''s Visa Bulletin each month.
No one knows. There is a really good chance that because family visas are currently underused, that next year the unused visa will fall into the employment category and there will be an extra quota for mainly Chinese. Previously I have seen estimates of 10 years, then 15 years and now many think it will be less. Anyone who says they know the answer is wrong because there are so many variables.
I-526 petitions are taking 30 to 60 months for processing according to USCIS data, but actual processing time may vary. A Chinese applicant may take longer because USCIS is prioritizing cases where visas are available, which China has famously had a backlog of visas for the past several years. That backlog (retrogression) is currently back to 2015, so I-526s filed in 2015 are now being processed for their immigrant visas.
