Procedures and Timeline
for Regional Center/Investor Filings
File I-924, Regional Center Designation Application, with USCIS
- approximate processing time 9 months or more (Processing times can and do vary)
- can be filled with hypothetical project
File exemplar I-526 for a specific project
- optional
- filed as I-924 amendment by regional center concurrent with regional center designation application or with any subsequent two
- decision concurrent with approval of regional center designation application
Investors file EB-5 petitions (Form I-526)
- approximate processing time 16 months or more (Processing times can and do vary)
Regional center files Form I-924A, annual reporting form
Investors file petition for removal of conditions (Form I-829)
- 21 to 24 months after investor becomes conditional permanent resident
- approximate processing time 18 months or more (Processing times can and do vary)
Timeline for Receipt of
EB-5 Money by New Regional Center
| Step | Estimated Time | Notes |
|---|
| Preparation of Regional Center Application/Project Pre-Approval Petition | 3 months or less | Time estimate assumes experienced and responsive EB-5 team and responsive client. |
| Approval of Regional Center Application/Project Pre-Approval Petition | 9 months or more | Government processing times vary greatly. Processing time may be longer if USCIS issues Request for Evidence. |
| Finding EB-5 Investors and filing I-526 Petitions | 3 months or more | Time varies greatly depending on number of investors required attractiveness of project and success of marketing agents. Time may be reduced if marketing efforts undertaken before project pre-approval. |
| Investors' money available to project if no escrow or escrow released up front | 0 months | |
| Investors' money available to project if escrow not released until approval of investors' EB-5 petitions | 16 months or more | Government processing time as of January 2016. |
