USCIS Announces Immediate Suspension of EB-5 Investor Visa Program, Orders Review of All Active Cases

WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Tuesday the immediate suspension of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, freezing all pending applications and ordering a comprehensive review of every active EB-5 visa holder currently residing in the United States.

The suspension, effective immediately, impacts an estimated 42,000 individuals who hold active EB-5 status, as well as approximately 15,000 pending applications. USCIS Director stated that the review is expected to take 'no less than 18 months' and that all EB-5 holders will be required to report for in-person interviews at their local USCIS field office.

Under the new directive, EB-5 visa holders are prohibited from selling, transferring, or refinancing any real estate assets until their case review is complete. Those who fail to appear for their scheduled interview will have their conditional residency automatically revoked.

'The EB-5 program has been riddled with fraud and abuse for decades,' said the DHS Secretary in a press conference at the department's headquarters. 'We owe it to the American people to ensure that every single participant in this program is thoroughly vetted.'

Immigration attorneys across the country have reported being inundated with calls from panicked EB-5 holders. 'This is unprecedented,' said Sarah Chen, an immigration lawyer based in Los Angeles. 'Many of these individuals have built their entire lives here — they own homes, run businesses, and have children in American schools.'

The suspension comes amid a broader crackdown on investment-based immigration programs. Sources within DHS suggest that the administration is particularly focused on EB-5 holders who have invested in California real estate, as the program was originally intended to create jobs in underserved communities, not fund luxury property acquisitions.

EB-5 holders in the Los Angeles area are advised to retain immigration counsel immediately and begin compiling documentation of their investment activities and job creation metrics.