Is there an annual deadline for EB-5 applications?

Not in the sense of a calendar cutoff. There is no fixed date (such as a specific day of the year) by which you must file your EB-5 petition: you can submit your case at any time, once it is ready.

What does exist is something different: the issuance of green cards through this pathway is subject to annual availability limits, including per country of birth. When demand exceeds the available slots for a given period, a backlog or a retrogression in availability may develop, delaying the conclusion of the process even after the petition has already been filed.

For this reason, the key factor to watch is not a cutoff date but rather visa availability. Official updates and the Visa Bulletin show the current state of that queue and help clarify when a case may be able to move forward.

Because the landscape shifts over time, it is worth checking the current status with USCIS and the Visa Bulletin, and reviewing your situation with a qualified specialist, without relying on any guarantees of outcome.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.