USCIS Policy Manual Updates for EB-5: What Changed in 2026

The USCIS Policy Manual serves as the primary reference for immigration officers adjudicating petitions across every employment based category, including the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. In 2026, USCIS published several rounds of updates that clarify longstanding ambiguities, introduce new procedural expectations, and align the manual with provisions of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA). Understanding these changes is essential for investors, regional centers, and immigration attorneys who need to anticipate how petitions will be evaluated going forward. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Policy Manual's structure as it relates to EB-5, summarizes the key 2026 updates, and offers practical guidance on how to monitor changes as they arise. ## How the USCIS Policy Manual Is Organized for EB-5 The USCIS Policy Manual replaced the legacy Adjudicator's Field Manual and various policy memoranda as the agency's centralized guidance repository. It is organized into multiple volumes, each...