$4.1 Billion Investment: Demand for the US ‘Golden Visa’ Explodes to Record Levels in FY2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American “Golden Visa” program—formally known as the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program—is witnessing an unprecedented surge in demand, fueled by global investors eager to secure U.S. permanent residency. New data released by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirms a record-breaking Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 for the program.
The flood of applications has injected billions of dollars into the U.S. economy, but it has also led to the predictable quick exhaustion of the annual visa cap for certain categories.
Investment Hits $4.1 Billion Mark
USCIS quarterly statistics reveal that demand for the EB-5 program has remained exceptionally strong throughout FY2025.
- Record Investment: During the first three quarters of FY2025 alone, investors filed 5,089 EB-5 investor petitions (Forms I-526 and I-526E). These petitions represent over $4.1 billion in new capital investment committed to job-creating projects across the United States.
- Approval Surge: In a major show of processing efficiency, USCIS approved a record 1,047 I-526E petitions (for regional center investors) in the third quarter of FY2025, the largest quarterly total since the program was reformed in 2022. The average approval rate for these petitions has remained high, at 94%.
This overwhelming demand for the EB-5 program, which requires a minimum investment of $800,000 in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) and the creation of at least 10 full-time jobs, already exceeds the total number of petitions filed in all of FY2024.
Unreserved Category Hits the Annual Cap
Despite the massive infusion of capital, the supply of visas remains tightly controlled by Congress. The high demand led to the quick exhaustion of one key category:
- Unreserved Category Exhausted: All available immigrant visas in the EB-5 Unreserved category for FY2025 were issued by September 16. This means that embassies and consulates could not issue any more visas in this category for the rest of the fiscal year, leading to extended wait times and uncertainty for many applicants who filed earlier.
However, investors who chose the newly created set-aside categories (Rural, High Unemployment, and Infrastructure projects) established under the 2022 Reform and Integrity Act (RIA) currently benefit from better visa availability, as these categories receive priority processing.
Conclusion
The surge of $4.1 billion in investment through the EB-5 program in FY2025 confirms its status as one of the most powerful and popular pathways to U.S. permanent residency. While the program successfully stimulates the economy through job creation and capital inflow, the exhaustion of the annual cap in the Unreserved category underscores the need for strategic planning. Prospective investors should consult experts to navigate the new reserved categories, which offer the most favorable timelines, but require quick action to secure a spot in line.
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Disclaimer
The investment figures ($4.1 billion) and filing numbers are based on official data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (https://www.uscis.gov/) and industry trade association reports for FY2025. The EB-5 program involves investment risk and the timeline for receiving a Green Card is subject to visa backlogs and per-country caps. This information does not constitute legal or financial advice. All prospective investors should consult with a qualified, licensed immigration attorney before making any investment decision.
