Understanding the Visa Bulletin and Priority Dates
The Visa Bulletin is published monthly by the U.S. Department of State and determines which EB-5 investors can proceed with their immigration process. Each bulletin lists Final Action Dates (cutoff dates) by country and category. If your priority date falls on or before the listed cutoff, a visa number is available to you.
For most countries, EB-5 visas are immediately available and the category shows as "Current." However, applicants from China and India often face extended backlogs in the unreserved category because demand exceeds the per-country limit. The reserved categories (Rural, HUA, Infrastructure), created by the 2022 Reform and Integrity Act, have generally remained current since their introduction.
Bulletin movement is not linear. Some months the cutoff date advances significantly; other months it remains unchanged. In rare cases, the cutoff can move backward (retrogression). The estimated time to currency shown above is based on the trailing 12 month average and should be treated as a rough projection rather than a firm timeline.