Understanding the EB-5 Visa Bulletin
The Visa Bulletin is the single most important document for EB-5 investors waiting to adjust their immigration status. Published monthly by the U.S. Department of State, it determines which applicants can move forward in the green card process based on their priority date, chargeability country, and investment category.
Final Action DatesOfficial Data
Final Action Dates (FADs) indicate when an immigrant visa number is actually available for issuance. If your priority date is earlier than the listed Final Action Date for your country and category, you are eligible to receive a visa or have your adjustment of status application approved.
Reserved vs. Unreserved CategoriesOfficial Data
The 2022 EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA) created three reserved visa pools: Rural (20% of annual EB-5 visas), High Unemployment Area (10%), and Infrastructure (2%). These reserved categories have remained Current since their creation, meaning investors who file under them face no visa backlog regardless of their country of birth. The remaining 68% of annual EB-5 visas fall into the Unreserved pool, which is subject to per-country caps and significant backlogs for Chinese and Indian nationals.
Movement AnalysisDerived
Our movement calculations compare each month's Final Action Date against the previous month. Positive movement indicates the date advanced forward, meaning progress in clearing the backlog. Negative movement (retrogression) means the State Department moved the date backward, typically because demand exceeded available visa numbers. These derived metrics use a simple day count between consecutive bulletin dates.
EB-5 Categories Explained
| Category | Visa Allocation | Current Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unreserved (General) | 68% of annual EB-5 visas | Backlogged for China, India | Subject to per-country 7% caps |
| Rural Set Aside | 20% | Current (all countries) | Priority processing by USCIS |
| High Unemployment Area | 10% | Current (all countries) | Urban TEA projects |
| Infrastructure | 2% | Current (all countries) | Qualifying infrastructure projects |
Critical EB-5 Deadlines
Visa bulletin dates directly affect the urgency of two major EB-5 program deadlines. Investors should monitor the bulletin alongside these dates.
- September 30, 2026: The grandfathering deadline. Investors must file their I-526E petition by this date to lock in current investment minimums ($800,000 TEA / $1,050,000 Non-TEA) before the CPI-U inflation adjustment takes effect on January 1, 2027.
- September 30, 2027: The EB-5 Regional Center Program authorization expires unless Congress reauthorizes it. Investors with approved petitions under the program are expected to be protected, but new petitions filed after this date could be affected if reauthorization does not occur.