EB-5 Visa: America gives good news to Indians on EB-5 visa, date extended by 6 months, way cleared for green card!
The priority date for EB-5 green cards for Indians has been extended by six months, making the investor visa a preferred route amid the growing US visa backlog.
Washington: The US State Department has given relief to Indian EB-5 category visa applicants. The date of final action for Indians in the unreserved EB-5 category has been extended by six months. This increase in the dates of final action has come at a time when the number of pending applications for other US visa categories is increasing. As of July 2025, there were more than 11 million cases pending in the US immigration system, including applications of Indian H-1B workers and family-based green card aspirants.
The US EB-5 visa is a US immigrant investor program under the employment-based fifth preference category. It allows foreign nationals to invest a minimum of $800,000 (about Rs 7 crore) in an eligible US business. However, that business must create at least 10 jobs for American employees. This also paves the way for the applicant to get a green card.
EB-5 becoming increasingly popular
The EB-5 visa covers the investor, their partner and unmarried children under the age of 21. After approval, the family gets a US green card. Applicants in reserved categories usually get green cards within two to three years. In such a situation, the EB-5 visa program is becoming increasingly popular among Indian families seeking a direct path to a green card.
In April this year, the final action date for EB-5 unreserved visas for India was extended due to high demand. Now it has been announced to extend it in the August 2025 bulletin. The EB-5 unreserved category includes investments made outside high-unemployment or rural areas.
Indian EB-5 demand on the rise
According to the American Immigrant Investor Alliance (AIIA), there has been a sharp rise in demand for Indian nationals since April 2024. Data shows that the number of Indian EB-5 petition filings since October 2022 has exceeded 1,790. If this continues, India may cross 2,000 filings by the end of FY 2025.
Indians are preferring EB-5 over H-1B or student visas. There is growing uncertainty over the status of temporary visas. With EB-5, investors have a more straightforward and secure option. The major benefits of EB-5 visas for Indian applicants are that it does not require any employer sponsorship and is not dependent on the lottery system.
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