The U.S. Department of State – Bureau of Consular Affairs released its Visa Bulletin for the month of February 2016 (View PDF). The bulletin revealed a cutoff date January 15, 2014 for Mainland-China born visa applicants, moving up from December 13, 2013 in the December bulletin. The January Visa Bulletin showed that all EB-5 Visa Categories were unauthorized for issuance as a result of pending legislation to extend the EB-5 Regional Center Program, which has since been resolved with the extension of the EB-5 Program through September 30, 2016.
As of February 1, Chinese investors who filed their I-526 petitions before January 15, 2014 will be eligible to schedule interviews with Department of State Consular offices and be issued conditional immigration visas to enter the U.S. or apply for adjustment of status if they are already in the U.S.
Since May 1, 2015 Chinese investors have been subject to a cutoff date die to high demand for EB-5 category visas. While Mainland-China investors are grappling the realities and implications of visa retrogression, action dates for other countries remain current, allowing qualified applicants from other parts of the world meaning to move forward with obtaining their EB-5 visa.
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Bulletin for February 2016
