EB-5 South Korea Visa Backlog
South Korea has no EB-5 visa backlog. All categories are Current. Timeline is determined by processing speed.
Data current as of · Source: USCIS/State Dept
Key Takeaways
- 1All EB-5 categories are Current for South Korea. 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. No backlog in any category.
- 4~3% of total EB-5 demand
Unreserved Status
Current
Est. Wait
No wait
I-485 Pending
0
What "Current" means
All EB-5 categories are available without wait. Korean investors can focus on processing time rather than visa availability when planning their timeline.
Processing time by category
Rural: 11 to 17 months. HUA: 24 to 36 months. Unreserved: 36 to 52 months. These processing times are the primary timeline driver for Korean investors.
Why South Korea is unlikely to retrogress
With annual filings well below 300 petitions and approximately 10,000 EB-5 visas available per year (shared across all countries), South Korea's demand level is far below the threshold that would trigger a cutoff date.
South Korea EB-5 Overview
South Korea is a steady but moderate source of EB-5 investment. Korean investors have never faced a visa backlog, making their total timeline purely a function of petition processing time. South Korea's stable filing volumes make future retrogression unlikely under current visa allocation levels.
Filing Trends
South Korean EB-5 filings have been stable at approximately 100 to 250 petitions per year. South Korea has never been retrogressed in the EB-5 category.
Strategy Considerations
South Korean investors benefit from full visa availability in all categories. The choice between rural, HUA, and unreserved categories should be based on project quality and processing speed rather than visa availability concerns.
Processing Time by Category
| Category | Processing Time | Visa Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Rural (20% set-aside) | 11 to 17 months | Current |
| HUA (10% set-aside) | 24 to 36 months | Current |
| Unreserved | 36 to 52 months | Current |
Set-Aside Category Status
All categories Current. No backlog in any category.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the South Korea EB-5 wait time?
Can South Korea investors avoid the EB-5 backlog?
What is the current South Korea EB-5 final action date?
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.
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