On Monday during its quarterly stakeholders meeting, the USCIS released the latest statistics on EB-5 adjudications.  The statistics reveal an increase across the board in all EB-5 related filings including I-924 applications for both initial regional center designation as well as amendments to existing regional centers.  Individuals also filed the highest level of I-526, EB-5 Immigrant Investor Petitions and I-829, Petitions to Remove Conditions to date.

• 92% of all EB-5 applications submitted to USCIS are for Investors who are investing in Regional Center affiliated commerical enterprises.
• EB-5 Visa usage has increased tremendously with 1,293 Form I-526 petitions receipted in by USCIS in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 alone.
• In fiscal year 2011, USCIS receipted in a total of 3,805 I-526 petitions.  This is a significant increase from a total of 1,955 in 2010 and only 332 applications total in 2005.
• USCIS also received their highest level of I-829 petitions to date in 2011, with a total of 2,345 receipted in as compared to only 768 in 2010.
• Denial rates have also increased.  In fiscal year 2011, 39% of I-924 filings for either initial Regional Center Designation and/ or Amendments were denied by USCIS.  Individual I-526 adjudications also saw an increased denial rate of 19% in 2011.  Interestingly, although I-829 filings in 2011 were at their highest level in the history of the EB-5 program, they only saw a 4% rate of denial.