The US State Department has indicated potential delays for Indian applicants under the EB-5 investor programme, as per a Business Standard report.
In the May 2026 Visa Bulletin, it noted that higher demand in the unreserved category may lead to a rollback of final action dates or make visas temporarily unavailable within the current financial year. This is the first such warning issued for India in FY2026.
Applications from India have increased in recent years, particularly after changes in 2022 allowed applicants already in the US to file petitions and related documents together.
Government data shows that out of about 13,520 EB-5 petitions filed globally between April 2022 and July 2025, nearly 22% were from India. This makes India the second-largest source of applicants after China.
Visa retrogression occurs when demand exceeds the number of visas available in a category. When this happens, the US authorities move the priority date backwards in the monthly bulletin.
Applicants whose dates were earlier current may then face delays, as they must wait for their priority date to become current again before their cases can proceed.
The current warning applies only to the unreserved category. Reserved categories linked to rural areas, high-unemployment zones and infrastructure projects remain current in the latest bulletin.
There has been no formal indication of backlogs in these categories so far, though the situation may change if application volumes continue to rise.
A cut-off date would limit the ability to file a green card application alongside the investor petition. However, investor petitions filed on or before September 30, 2026 can still secure a place in the queue under existing rules.
Processing timelines may lengthen if demand continues to exceed annual caps.
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The May 2026 update is indicative of rising application volumes and limited visa availability. For Indian applicants, waiting periods may increase if the current trend continues.
Disclaimer: This blog has been written exclusively for educational purposes. The securities mentioned are only examples and not recommendations. This does not constitute a personal recommendation/investment advice. It does not aim to influence any individual or entity to make investment decisions. Recipients should conduct their own research and assessments to form an independent opinion about investment decisions.
Investments in the securities market are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing.
Published on: Apr 20, 2026, 4:48 PM IST
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