The United States will advance visa processing timelines across several employment-based green card categories, with India seeing a particularly significant
jump under the EB-5 investor program. According to the US State Department's latest Visa Bulletin for October, the Final Action Date for EB-5 India has moved forward by almost 15 months, giving a major boost to Indian applicants waiting in line. In contrast, the EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 categories for India will see smaller movements, with none advancing by more than three and a half months. The Dates for Filing chart, which allows applicants to submit documents earlier in the process, reflects broader advancements in employment-based categories. EB-1 through EB-3 have moved up by as much as a year for certain countries, creating some relief for applicants across the board. Also Read: Indians Turn To EB-5 Visas, Applications Up By 100% - All About This Green Card Category
US Green Card Hope For Indians: EB-5 India Cut-Off Date Advances
The EB-5 Visa is considered the fastest method for foreigners to settle in the US and for Indians, the sharp jump in EB-5 offers fresh hope to families investing in the US economy to secure green cards. Experts believe that there is significant interest from Indian students and H-1B holders to pursue the EB-5 visa route. International students in competitive fields like computer science, biotech and finance are mostly applying for EB-5.
However, not all changes are positive. The EB-5 category for China has retrogressed by three months, underscoring the shifting demand and quota pressures across regions.
- EB-1: China will advance by five weeks to December 22, 2022, and India will remain at February 15, 2022. All other countries will continue to be current.
- EB-2: China will advance by three and a half months to April 1, 2021, and India will advance by three months to April 1, 2013. All other countries will advance by three months to December 1, 2023.
- EB-3 Professionals and Skilled Workers: China will advance by three months to March 1, 2021, India will advance by three months to August 22, 2013, and the Philippines will advance by seven weeks to April 1, 2023. All other countries will remain at April 1, 2023.
- EB-5: For the EB-5 Unreserved categories, China will remain at December 8, 2015, and India will advance by almost 15 months to February 1, 2021. All other countries will remain current. The EB-5 set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure) will also remain current.
