On January 25, 2021, USCIS published quarterly statistics for all application and petition form types for the fourth quarter (Q4) in fiscal year (FY) 2020, including the latest data between July and September for Form I-526, Form I-829, Form I-924, and Form I-924A. With the federal fiscal year ended on September 30, 2020, the newly released data also concluded the performance of Form I-526 filings, adjudications and backlog changes in FY2020.
IIUSA produced a new data report (members-only) to inform our stakeholders of the latest demands for EB-5, the I-526 case processing trends, the average approval rates and the current I-526 case backlog.
(Form I-526 Statistics by Fiscal Year)
KEY DATA HIGHLIGHTS
Form I-526 Filings:
- With 53 EB-5 investors filed their I-526 petition in Q4, FY2020 (July 1st – September 30, 2020), the total number of I-526 filings in the entire FY2020 was 4,378, up by 5% from the last fiscal year.
- However, 4,264 (or 97% of the) I-526 filings in FY2020 occurred in Q1 (between October 1st and December 30th, 2019). Only 114 I-526 petitions were filed in 2020 between January 1st and September 30th after the new EB-5 regulations went into effect.
Form I-526 Adjudications:
- USCIS adjudicated a total of 3,421 I-526 cases in FY2020, a 27% decline from the last fiscal year.
- Although USCIS processed 24% more I-526 petitions in Q4, FY2020 than the agency did in the previous quarter, its productivity of completiting I-526 cases remained at the lowest level in recent years with an average of only 285 cases being processed on a monthly basis in FY2020.
Form I-526 Approval Rate:
- The average approval rate of I-526 petitions bounced back to 79% in Q4, FY2020 from the last quarter when the approval rate was only 62%.
- Overall, the I-526 approval rate in FY2020 was 75%, the lowest level in the last eight years.
Form I-526 Backlog:
- As of September 30, 2020, more than 15,060 I-526 cases were still pending at USCIS and awaiting adjudications;
- Based on IPO’s I-526 adjudication rate in FY2020, it would take nearly 4.4 years to clear out the current backlog of I-526 cases.
INTRODUCING THE NEW I-526 DATA DASHBOARD
Key I-526 statistics and data trends, all at your fingertips
It’s our pleasure to introduce you the new interactive I-526 Data Dashboard available on IIUSA’s website: https://iiusa.org/i526data/
This new online tool features historical trends of the demand for the EB-5 Program and the most up-to-date statistics on Form I-526 petitions, including:
- Estimated amount of EB-5 investment inflows to the U.S. economy;
- Number of I-526 petitions filed by EB-5 investors;
- USCIS’s productivity in processing I-526 cases;
- Average approval rates for I-526 petitions; and
- The latest news and analyses regarding USCIS adjudication trends;
Add this new interactive I-526 Data Dashboard to your bookmark and stay up-to-date with the key statistics most relevant to EB-5 investors.
