Nigeria EB-5 Investors and the September 30, 2026 Grandfathering Deadline

For Nigerian nationals, all EB-5 categories are currently shown as Current in the Visa Bulletin, so this is not a backlog story like China or India. The decision to file before September 30, 2026 turns instead on two levers that favor acting early. First, the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA) grandfathering provision means a complete I-526 or I-526E filed with correct fees on or before that date stays processable even if the regional-center program is not reauthorized after September 30, 2027, and it locks the investment minimums in effect at filing. Second, those minimums, currently $800,000 for set-aside and targeted-employment-area (TEA) projects and $1,050,000 for non-TEA projects, are expected to increase under a CPI-U inflation adjustment effective January 1, 2027. Filing in 2026 locks the lower figure.

The Nigeria-specific reason to move now is the capital pathway. Sourcing US dollars through Nigerian banks and the CBN forex system can be slow, and access has at times been constrained, so the gap between deciding to invest and actually wiring funds can run into months. A petition is only grandfathered once it is filed complete, which generally means the qualifying capital is already invested or irrevocably committed and the source-of-funds trail is documented. Nigerian investors should therefore treat the fund-transfer process, not the filing form itself, as the long pole.

EB5Status is an independent EB-5 data platform, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal, tax, or immigration advice. Use this page to understand the timing pressure, then confirm category eligibility and structuring with your own qualified advisors.

Moving qualifying capital out of Nigeria is the step most likely to consume your runway, so plan it first. Dollar liquidity through the CBN foreign-exchange windows can be limited and has periodically been restricted, which means assembling $800,000 in US dollars may require staging conversions over weeks or months rather than a single transaction. Build that uncertainty into your calendar and start before you have finalized a project.

Equally important is documentation. Each tranche of funds should map cleanly to a well-founded, source-of-funds record, and you should obtain a Certificate of Capital Importation (CCI) on the inbound and outbound legs where applicable, because a properly issued CCI is what protects your ability to repatriate capital and returns later. Keep evidence of every CBN approval, bank confirmation, and exchange-rate basis. Because a petition only grandfathers once it is filed complete, working backward from September 30, 2026 with a realistic multi-month transfer window is the safest way to avoid missing the date for reasons that have nothing to do with your eligibility.