Client Payment Portal

Exclusive New EB-5 Filing Data on Rural v. High Unemployment Area Demand as of April 2024!

Sep 16, 2024 | Immigration Updates, Investor Visas

By Joey Barnett

WR Immigration has obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request new data related to the number of Form I-526E Petitions received by Fiscal Year, Beneficiary Country of Birth, and Investment Type. This shows total filings from 2022 until  April 18, 2024. 

The last similar data was from November 2023, providing an important update on the demand for EB-5.  This information will help prospective immigrant investors especially from China and India better evaluate the “hidden backlog” of pending Form I-526E cases and will also guide regional centers and EB-5 promoters where to market.    

Join  WR Immigration’s Director of Visa Consulting Charlie Oppenheim and WR Partner Joey Barnett to discuss the implications of this new data during the next edition of The Bulletin – Chatting with Charlie: EB-5 Investor Outlook on September 26, 2024. 

Here are five facts to know:

1. More Overall Demand for High Unemployment Area Over Rural: Through April 18, 2024, over 62% of all Form I-526Es have been in HUA.  However, in FY 2024 through April 18, 2024, that number has decreased to 53%.    

2. Limited Rural Demand – Except China and India: Over 86% of all rural Form I-526Es have been filed by Chinese or Indian investors.

3. China Continues Greatest Demand: Immigrant investors from China have significantly filed the most I-526Es. Below are the top 5 countries in FY 2024 through April 18, 2024.

CountryHigh Unemployment Area I-526EsRural I-526Es
China511578
India159148
Taiwan844
Vietnam3024
Korea361
Total930833

4. India Demand: A total of 464 HUA Form I-526Es have been filed by Indians, compared to 280 rural Form I-526Es. 

5. Rest of World Filings: There have been 946 HUA I-526Es filed by those from countries outside of China and India.  There have been 221 rural I-526Es filed by those from countries outside of China and India.  This leaves room for “otherwise unused” rural visa numbers to be allocated to those from these two countries with the earliest priority dates.

I’ll be unpacking this data further in an upcoming webinar with my colleague Charlie Oppenheim.

Click here to register for our next Chatting with Charlie: EB-5 Investor Outlook on Thursday, September 26th.

You can download the data that we obtained from the FOIA below.

EB-5-Demand-DataDownload

Related Posts:

December 2022 Visa Bulletin – Update

On Thursday, November 17th, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed that it will honor the State Department’s Date for Filing chart from the State Department’s December 2022 Visa Bulletin. The December 2022 Visa Bulletin was released late in the monthly cycle which may be a sign that USCIS and State Department were wrestling with challenges internally before issuing this month’s Visa Bulletin. Most notably, the December Visa Bulletin introduces a final action priority date of November 1, 2022 for EB-2 “All Other Countries.” This restriction, also in place for dates for filing, for the EB-2 classification for “All Other Countries” this early in the government’s fiscal year may linger and may further challenge green card timelines for applicants previously planning to concurrently submit their I-140 Immigrant Petitions with their I-485 Adjustment of Status Applications. Lastly, the further retrogression for India EB-2 final action date (now October 8, 2011) will result in continued lengthy adjudication timelines for this category. Dates for Filing: Notes Family Based Information: USCIS to honor Dates for Filing chart for family-based applicants in December 2022. Please refer to the State Department’s full Visa Bulletin for further details available here.

Read More

WR Immigration News Digest

New Visa Restrictions Disrupt International Student Pipeline The Trump administration has paused all new F, M, and J visa interview appointments as it considers expanding mandatory social media screening. This move is expected to delay fall arrivals and impact onboarding for OPT/STEM OPT hires. Additionally, the administration plans to revoke visas of certain Chinese nationals in sensitive fields, increasing scrutiny and uncertainty for students and early-career professionals. Impact: In-house mobility teams should prepare for delays, reevaluate timelines for student visa holders, and communicate potential risks to business stakeholders. These changes may also accelerate talent shifts toward more welcoming global destinations. Supreme Court Clears Path to End Humanitarian Parole for CHNV Nationals On May 30, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration can terminate the humanitarian parole program for over 500,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) currently in the U.S. The 7–2 decision allows the government to end protections while legal challenges are still pending. Justices Jackson and Sotomayor dissented, warning of the serious humanitarian and legal consequences of removing protections before the courts resolve the issue. Impact: Employers should review whether any employees or candidates are on CHNV parole and prepare for possible work authorization disruptions. Alternative […]

Read More