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In fiscal year 2022, USCIS approved 95.7 percent of the EB-2 national interest waiver petitions it decided. In the first half of fiscal year 2026, it approved 45.5 percent. Denials outnumbered approvals across those two quarters, 6,486 to 5,410.

EB-1A (extraordinary ability) is the harder category to qualify for, and EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver) is the more accessible one. In recent Visa Bulletins, EB-1 cutoff dates have been more favorable than EB-2 dates, although visa availability changes monthly by preference category and country of chargeability, so the current bulletin controls.

The 60-day grace period for nonimmigrant workers remains in force today. DHS has submitted a proposed rule that would eliminate it, but that proposal is at an early stage of review, its text has not been made public, and no final rule or effective date exists.

There is no minimum E-2 investment amount set by statute or regulation. The requirement is that the investment be substantial, and substantiality is measured in proportion to the total cost of the particular business you are buying or building. The $100,000 figure repeated across so many websites is not invented, but it does not mean what it is usually taken to mean. It appears in the governing guidance describing something else entirely.

The short answer: the E-2 is a temporary, renewable nonimmigrant status for treaty country nationals who actively run a U.S. business, with no statutory minimum investment and no path to a green card on its own. The EB-5 is an immigrant petition that can lead to permanent residence for nationals of any country, and it requires at least $800,000 (in a targeted employment area) or $1,050,000, plus the creation of at least 10 full-time jobs.

The bottom line first: September 30, 2026 is the last day to file a qualifying Form I-526E petition and receive statutory grandfathering protection under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA), which requires USCIS to keep processing a protected petition even if the Regional Center Program later expires.

Immigration processes often unfold over long periods of time, requiring families to manage multiple filings, documents, and updates. Questions frequently arise not only about applications, but also about everyday issues such as travel, document access, and responding to government requests.

Introduction Beginning in late 2025, specifically for applications filed on or after October 20, 2025, USCIS began administering a revised naturalization civics test that is longer, more comprehensive, and more demanding than the previous version. The updated test reflects USCIS’s stated goal of modernizing civic education standards and ensuring applicants demonstrate meaningful understanding of U.S. […]

Introduction “A U.S. green card grants lawful permanent residence, but it does not provide absolute protection from deportation.” In today’s heightened enforcement environment, many lawful permanent residents (LPR) are surprised to learn that certain actions, patterns, or past issues can place their status at risk. Understanding where risk exists is essential to protecting long-term residency. […]

The E-2 Treaty Investor Visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows nationals of certain treaty countries to enter and work in the United States based on a substantial investment in a U.S. business. Designed to promote bilateral trade and economic engagement, the E-2 visa category enables foreign entrepreneurs and investors to develop and direct operations of an enterprise in which they have invested, or are actively in the process of investing, a significant amount of capital.