USCIS EB-5 Inventory Management Model: What Changes on March 30, 2026

What changed and why it matters On February 25, 2026, USCIS announced a new "Inventory Management" model for I-526 and I-526E petition adjudication. Effective March 30, 2026, this framework restructures how USCIS prioritizes, sequences, and assigns EB-5 petitions for review. In practical terms, three things are changing at once. USCIS will now require I-956F project approval before reviewing any associated I-526E petition. Rural petitions get a dedicated first in, first out queue. And that rural queue must be cleared before officers move to any other category. These changes will reshape filing strategy, project selection, and timeline expectations for every EB-5 investor. This is the most consequential change to EB-5 petition processing since the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA) took effect. Source: USCIS Policy Alert, February 25, 2026. Blue trust tier. ## What is the inventory management model? The inventory management model is USCIS's new framework for...#