EB-5 Provides a Faster Green Card Path for Indians in 2025

(INDIA) With the September 2025 visa bulletin showing EB-5 categories current for Indians in the reserved set-asides, Indian investors are finding an unusually fast line to a U.S. green card compared with other employment-based routes that have long backlogs. The open visa numbers, the structure created by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, and the option for concurrent filing for those already in the United States 🇺🇸 have combined to make EB-5 the quickest path at this moment.

Industry analysts note that even when the unreserved EB-5 line moves back and forth, the overall wait for Indians remains short relative to other categories. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, current visa supply and dedicated set-asides are keeping timelines favorable for Indian applicants, particularly those who choose qualified rural or infrastructure projects.

Why EB-5 looks faster for Indians right now

For families who have watched employment-based backlogs stretch for years, this is a notable shift. Indian professionals stuck in retrogression in other categories are increasingly exploring EB-5 because it offers a direct path to permanent residence without employer sponsorship or labor certification.

The key factor is the visa bulletin: when final action dates and filing dates are current, there is no queue to clear. That is the case for Indians in the EB-5 reserved categories as of September 2025, allowing immediate filing and faster adjudication. This contrasts sharply with other employment-based routes where Indians can face waits of years or decades because of per-country limits and heavy demand.

The EB-5 program grants a green card to qualifying investors who place funds in job-creating U.S. projects and maintain the investment through the conditional period. The 2022 law:

• Created dedicated visa numbers for rural and infrastructure projects (the reserved set-asides).
• Introduced stronger compliance tools, including routine audits, fund tracking, and reporting duties.
• Established a minimum investment of $800,000 for targeted projects and locked that floor until 2027, giving investors cost certainty for two years.

These features, plus reallocation of unused visas from Rest of World to high-demand countries, have helped Indian EB-5 applicants move more quickly than many expected.

Visa bulletin status and legal changes shaping timelines

The September 2025 visa bulletin confirms EB-5 is current for Indians in the reserved categories. When a category is current, USCIS and the State Department can adjudicate cases without delay caused by visa number shortages.

Key points:

• The unreserved EB-5 category for India has been volatile during FY2025, but the backlog remains comparatively light.
• The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 set aside a portion of EB-5 visas for rural and infrastructure projects—reducing wait times for applicants who choose them.
• The Act also fixed the $800,000 minimum investment for targeted projects through 2027 and strengthened oversight to curb fraud and misuse.

Another important factor is concurrent filing for Indians already in the U.S. on nonimmigrant status. EB-5 applicants in the U.S. can submit the immigrant petition and the adjustment of status application together, then apply for:

• A work permit (EAD)
• A travel document (advance parole)

Many applicants report receiving work authorization in about five months and travel permission in roughly six months. This allows investors to work, study, or run a business while the EB-5 case moves forward.

Visa reallocation from Rest of World countries has also supported forward movement in Indian EB-5 final action dates. Because some Rest of World demand has been lower than expected, unused EB-5 visas have flowed to high-demand countries such as India and China—helping keep the reserved-category line open for now.

Annual visa supply is another lever. Roughly 1,000 EB-5 visas are available for Indians each year (including reserved groups). If demand rises quickly, the Department of State can set a cut-off date and retrogress the category. Filing now secures a priority date that helps protect an investor’s place if the category later retrogresses.

Important: The visa bulletin can move both forward and backward. Monthly monitoring of the official U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin is advised.

Impact on Indian families, students, and employers

The EB-5 opening has practical consequences across family, education, and employment planning.

Families and students

• Parents can secure paths to green cards for the main investor, spouse, and unmarried children under 21, easing concerns about F-1 status, OPT, and the H-1B lottery.
• Students who gain permanent residence through a parent’s EB-5 case can accept internships more freely, access additional scholarships, and avoid frequent renewals and work limits tied to temporary visas.
• Filing while the category is current can help protect a child’s classification under the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA), which is critical when a child nears 21.

Working professionals

• H-1B and L-1 holders view EB-5 as a pressure release valve: concurrent filing can unlock a work permit and advance parole within months, giving flexibility with employer changes or business ventures.
• Advance parole reduces concerns about consular visa stamping backlogs by allowing reentry without a new visa stamp (subject to travel rules).

Employers and communities

• Employers benefit from reduced churn and fewer H-1B cap-related disruptions.
• Sectors like health care, particularly rural hospitals, can benefit if EB-5 capital funds rural infrastructure that creates local jobs.

Geographic flexibility

• Investors do not have to live near the project. An investor in Chennai can invest in a rural Midwest project and settle in California, allowing families to choose schools and jobs independently of project location.

Risk and diligence

• The $800,000 investment is significant and projects vary. Despite stronger oversight, investors must conduct careful due diligence.
• Important diligence factors include: regional center track record, job creation modeling, transparent fund flows, credible construction timelines, and clear exit terms.
• Most investors view the green card as the primary outcome; financial returns are typically modest and the goal is preservation of principal until capital recovery (often 4–6 years).

Community networks and professional advisers in India (lawyers, financial advisers, alumni groups) are increasingly important information hubs for source-of-funds documentation, project selection, and filing strategy.

How the EB-5 process works now for Indian applicants (2025)

Indian applicants who want to use the current visa bulletin typically follow this sequence:

1. Choose a qualifying EB-5 project—often a regional center project that fits a reserved category (rural or infrastructure).
2. Place the $800,000 investment and assemble source-of-funds documentation.
3. File the immigrant investor petition, Form I-526, which sets the case priority date. Link: Form I-526.
4. If in the U.S., file Form I-485 (adjustment of status) concurrently with I-526 (or after I-526 approval) to obtain a work permit and travel document while the green card is pending. Link: Form I-485.
5. Wait for USCIS adjudication. With reserved categories current, cases can move faster than other backlogged employment-based lines.
6. Receive a conditional green card valid for two years upon approval.
7. Near the end of the two-year period, file Form I-829 to remove conditions, demonstrating sustained investment and job creation. Link: Form I-829.
8. Upon I-829 approval, receive permanent residence.

Practical tips

• Build a clean financial paper trail: bank statements, tax returns, sale deeds, gift deeds, and loan agreements.
• Obtain third-party reports: independent construction monitors and fund administrators improve transparency.
• Confirm project eligibility for a reserved set-aside (clear rural map or infrastructure designation).
• Verify exit strategy terms and realistic timelines for capital return.
• Plan for children’s ages—filing sooner may protect a child at risk of “aging out.”
• Track the visa bulletin monthly to anticipate movement and consular scheduling.

Risks, timing, and project considerations

Supply-and-demand dynamics explain why EB-5 timelines differ from other employment-based routes for Indians. Per-country caps and accumulated spillover in other categories have produced deep queues. EB-5’s reserved set-asides and visa reallocation from underused Rest of World numbers have created a fresher pool for Indians.

Still, risks remain:

• Projects may face construction delays, market shifts, or permit issues.
• EB-5 requires that funds remain at risk during the conditional period; exiting too soon can jeopardize removal-of-conditions approval.
• Demand spikes could trigger retrogression and a cut-off date that slows approvals.

Financial timelines

• Most regional center projects target returning investor capital in about four to six years, depending on stabilization or refinancing events.
• Treat exit timelines as ranges, not fixed dates.

Choosing sponsors

• Prefer regional centers with completed EB-5 cycles and proven track records.
• Scrutinize private placement memoranda, senior lending structures, job-creation buffers, and compliance history.

Regulatory improvements

• The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act introduced audits, better fund flow tracking, and penalties for bad actors—reducing past failures but not eliminating project risk.
• These guardrails make EB-5 more reliable than in earlier years, prompting renewed interest among Indian investors.

Consular processing and overseas applicants

For applicants outside the U.S., consular processing generally follows I-526 approval when a visa number is available.

Practical notes:

• With reserved categories current, the National Visa Center can forward cases for consular interview once documents are complete.
• Families should budget time for document collection and medical exams.
• If the category retrogresses later, interviews could be delayed—filing earlier locks in a priority date.

Final takeaways and recommended actions

• As of September 2025, EB-5 stands out as the quickest route to a green card for Indians—because the visa bulletin, the 2022 law, and visa reallocation all favor reserved-category applicants.
• For those ready to proceed, recommended steps are:
  1. Confirm project eligibility for a reserved set-aside (rural or infrastructure).
  2. Invest the $800,000 (fixed until 2027) and document source of funds carefully.
  3. File Form I-526 to establish a priority date. Link: Form I-526.
  4. If eligible, file Form I-485 concurrently to obtain work and travel authorization while the green card case is pending. Link: Form I-485.
  5. Keep thorough records for eventual Form I-829 filing. Link: Form I-829.

Warning: Demand can change quickly. If many Indians file in coming months, the Department of State may set a cut-off date and slow final approvals. Filing earlier locks in a priority date that can be valuable if retrogression returns.

Resources

• Official monthly updates: U.S. Department of State Visa Bulletin
• USCIS forms and instructions: Form I-526, Form I-485, Form I-829

For now, EB-5’s alignment of numbers, law, and procedural advantages presents an unusually clear window for Indian investors—especially those who choose reserved-category rural or infrastructure projects and who are prepared with clean documentation and careful due diligence.