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EB5 Status

EB-5 Rest of World Visa Backlog

Rest of World has no EB-5 visa backlog. All categories are Current. Timeline is determined by processing speed.

Official Data|State Dept

Data current as of · Source: USCIS/State Dept

Key Takeaways

  • 1All EB-5 categories are Current for Rest of World. No visa backlog.
  • 2Total timeline determined by processing time: rural 11 to 17 months, HUA 24 to 36 months
  • 3Set-aside categories: All categories Current for all countries in this group.
  • 4~10% of total EB-5 demand (combined)

Unreserved Status

Current

Est. Wait

No wait

I-485 Pending

2,555

What "All Other Countries" means

The visa bulletin groups all non-retrogressed countries under "All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed." This means the same rules apply whether you are from Brazil, Nigeria, the UK, or any other country not specifically listed.

Could your country retrogress?

Retrogression occurs when a single country's demand approaches the per-country limit (approximately 700 visas per year). Currently, only China and India have demand high enough to trigger cutoff dates.

Total timeline

For non-retrogressed countries, total timeline = processing time. Rural: 11 to 17 months. HUA: 24 to 36 months. Unreserved: 36 to 52 months.

Source: USCIS FOIA and Department of State Visa Bulletin

Rest of World EB-5 Overview

The "Rest of World" category in the visa bulletin applies to all countries without individual cutoff dates. This currently includes every country except China and India. Investors from these countries face no visa backlog, and their total timeline is determined by USCIS processing times alone.

Filing Trends

Combined filings from all non-retrogressed countries (excluding China, India, Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan) total approximately 500 to 1,000 petitions per year. Brazil, UAE, Mexico, Nigeria, and United Kingdom are notable contributors.

Strategy Considerations

Investors from non-retrogressed countries have full visa availability across all categories. The choice between categories should be based on project quality, processing speed, and individual risk tolerance rather than visa availability.

Processing Time by Category

CategoryProcessing TimeVisa Availability
Rural (20% set-aside)11 to 17 monthsCurrent
HUA (10% set-aside)24 to 36 monthsCurrent
Unreserved36 to 52 monthsCurrent

Set-Aside Category Status

All categories Current for all countries in this group.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Rest of World EB-5 wait time?
Rest of World has no EB-5 visa backlog. All categories are Current. The total timeline is determined by processing time: rural 11 to 17 months, HUA 24 to 36 months, unreserved 36 to 52 months.
Can Rest of World investors avoid the EB-5 backlog?
Rest of World investors do not face a backlog in any category. All set-aside and unreserved categories are Current.
What is the current Rest of World EB-5 final action date?
Rest of World does not have a cutoff date. The final action date is "Current," meaning visa numbers are available immediately for all approved petitioners.

How this data was calculated

Backlog data combines USCIS FOIA releases (approved-awaiting counts) with Department of State visa bulletin final action dates. Wait time estimates are derived from the gap between the final action date and today, assuming current visa allocation rates continue.

Trust tier: OfficialLast updated: 2026-03-30Source: USCIS FOIA and Department of StateFull methodology

Data Update History

Initial publication with FY2025 Q3 data

Apr 7, 2026·Initial publication

Verified against April 2026 visa bulletin

Mar 30, 2026·Data refresh

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