The US Citizenship and Immigration Services will not issue more green cards for the rest of fiscal year (FY) 2025 in the Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) unreserved visa category. The mentioned category has reached its annual limit, the US Department of State announced on September 16. Here is all you should know about the freeze on green cards.
All about EB-5 program and green card
According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the EB-5 Program was launched in 1990 to strengthen the US economy “through job creation and capital investment by foreign investors.”
Under the EB-5 program, investors, their spouses, and unmarried children (under the age of 21) can apply for green cards in the US. To be eligible for this facility, an investor must invest a minimum of $1 million in companies, as per Newsweek.
Annual limit of visas in the EB-5 category
As per the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the annual limit for EB-5 visas is 7.1 per cent of the worldwide employment limit. Sixty-eight per cent of this is available for unreserved visa categories (C5, T5, I5, R5, RU, NU), according to the US Department of State.
Unused EB-5 reserved visas from FY 2023 are also available for use in the EB-5 unreserved categories for FY 2025, as per the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022.
When will the annual limit on EB-5 visas reset?
As soon as the next fiscal year, i.e. FY 2026, begins on October 1, 2025, the annual limits on EB-5 visas will reset.
FAQs:
Why has the US Citizenship and Immigration Services imposed a freeze on EB-5 visas for FY 2025?
As the Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) unreserved visa category has reached its annual limit, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services imposed a freeze on EB-5 visas for FY 2025.
When does the annual limit on EB-5 visas reset?
The annual limits will reset with the start of the new fiscal year (FY 2026) on October 1, 2025.
When was the EB-5 program launched?
The US Congress launched the EB-5 Program in 1990 to strengthen the US economy.