USCIS published the quarterly statistics for all application and petition form types for the second quarter (Q2) of fiscal year (FY) 2021 (January 1st – March 31th, 2021), including the latest data for Form I-526, Form I-829, Form I-924, and Form I-924A.
With the latest statistics for Form I-829 performance, IIUSA produced this data report (members-only) to inform industry stakeholders of the latest data trends on the final step of the immigration process for EB-5 investors in Q2 FY2021.
(Figure 1 at I-829 Data Report: Form I-829 Filings vs Adjudications in the First Half of Fiscal Year, Year-Over-Year Comparison)
KEY DATA HIGHLIGHTS
Form I-829 Filings:
- A total of 1,053 I-829 petitions were filed in Q2, FY2021. With a quarterly growth of 414%, the number of I-829 filings bounced back significantly from Q1 when the volume of I-829 filings was at its historically low.
- During the first half of FY2021, 1,258 EB-5 investors filed their I-829 petition, a 22% decline year over year.
Form I-829 Adjudications:
- In Q2 FY2021, USCIS adjudicated 603 I-829 petitions, 12% less than what the agency did during Q1, FY2021.
- On average, USCIS processed 214 I-829 cases per month in FY2021.
Form I-829 Approval Rate:
- The average approval rate of I-829 petitions was approximately 94% in Q1, FY2021, unchanged from the average approval rate in Q1, FY2021.
Form I-829 Backlog:
- As of the end of Q2, FY2021 (March 31th, 2021), a total of 10,356 I-829 cases were still pending at USCIS. The backlog of I-829 petitions increased by 5% from the last quarter.
