What is EB-5 visa? Indian students explore new path as Trump administration tightens immigration laws
An increasing number of Indians are now choosing a different path as the US tightens its immigration laws and current immigrants are subject to greater scrutiny under the Donald Trump administration.
The Economic Times reported that immigration lawyers have witnessed over 100 percent increase in EB-5 petitions from Indian students in the last four to five months.
With an investment of $800,000 (about ₹7 crore), overseas investors reportedly can obtain a Green Card or permanent residency via this EB-5 procedure.
However, it has restricted only 700 sets for India. In contrast to other years, there has been a significant rise in EB-5 petitions despite the restricted number of seats.
Also Read: Over 69,000 Indian students hit hard as ICE targets OPT program with strict warning letters
Speaking to ET, Rajneesh Pathak, founder of the immigration law company Global North Residency and Citizenship, said: 'Unlike previous years, when we had most-ly H-1B visa holders applying, the interest from F-1 visa holders has risen by 100% over the last few months.'
According to the study, the US Immigration Fund (USIF), which operates EB-5 Regional Centers, has witnessed a 100% increase in F-1 visa holders applying for EB-5 visas since January of this year as compared to 2024, when the majority of candidates were H-1B holders.
The Donald Trump administration significantly cancelled the visas of more than 300 overseas students this year due to their alleged participation in 'campus activism' and 'engagement with anti-national content' on social media.
According to reports, the US Department of State (DOS) sent emails to thousands of students telling them that their F-1 visas have been terminated and that they are required to use the CBP Home App for self-deportation.
Indian students and H-1B holders are now very interested in pursuing the EB-5 visa path. According to the report, the majority of international applicants for EB-5 are in highly competitive industries including computer science, biotechnology, and finance.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services states that investors (as well as their spouses and unmarried children under 21) can submit applications for legal permanent residence (a Green Card) under this program.
This is possible only if they invest the required amount in a US-based business; Plan to create or maintain 10 permanent full-time jobs for eligible US workers.
Participants in this program are granted an employment-based fifth preference visa, which is called EB-5.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
17 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Harvard seeks to unfreeze $2.5 billion funding in court filing, says national security, public health research in peril
Harvard University, which is at the loggerheads with the US President Donald Trump's administration, has asked a federal judge to issue a summary judgement to unfreeze the $2.5 billion funding blocked by the federal government which the varsity said was an illegal decision. The filing by Harvard University in the US District Court in Boston stated that since the university rejected a list of demands by the White House, the Trump administration had issued 957 orders since April 14 to freeze funding for research pertaining to national security threats, cancer and infectious diseases, Reuters reported. President Trump has previously said that he is trying to force change at Harvard and other US colleges, specially the Ivy league, as he views that these educational institutes have been captured by leftist 'woke' thought and become bastions of antisemitism. On the plea by Harvard University for summary judgements, US District Judge Allison Burroughs set arguments for July 21. The university had sued the Trump administration in April after a funding freeze was announced, as the school alleged the funding freeze violated its right to free speech and was arbitrary in nature. In the filing, Harvard's lawyers wrote 'The directive to freeze and terminate every dollar of Harvard's research funds came directly from the White House, which dictated the form that such terminations would take and set arbitrary deadlines for particular terminations.' Harvard University, in the recent filing, detailed that the funds terminated by federal government includes $88 million for pediatric HIV research, $12 million for increasing Defense Department awareness of emerging biological threats and $8 million to better understand dark energy. The university added that a funding cut would destroy the ongoing research in infectious disease, Parkinson's and cancer treatment. Last month, in another setback to Harvard, the Trump administration revoked the university's ability to enroll international students which was blocked by a US judge after the varsity sued the government in a separate lawsuit.
Mint
20 minutes ago
- Mint
Geojit's Vinod Nair flags ‘cautious outlook' for IT stocks amid market volatility, geopolitical uncertainties
India Inc's Q4 earnings season has outperformed expectations, with broad market PAT rising by 12% YoY. Nifty50 companies reported earnings growth of 6–7%, exceeding the earlier forecast of 0–3%, which is expected to lead to a marginal upgrade in India's EPS forecasts for FY25 and FY26. This strong performance was largely driven by lower input costs and moderating inflation, which improved operational profitability. Performance across sectors was mixed. The metals and mining segment stood out, benefitting from higher QoQ realizations amid global supply chain disruptions. The pharma sector also performed well, supported by increased sales of complex drugs and declining chemical costs. Domestic-facing sectors such as private and public banks and telecom also posted better-than-expected results. However, Auto, IT, and FMCG sectors showed flat to weak earnings growth, impacted by both global and domestic slowdowns. Global headwinds, including slowing demand and geopolitical tensions, have had a nuanced impact on India Inc's performance. However, the recent reduction in global inflation and crude oil prices has helped India lower its input costs, while tariff-related risks have paradoxically boosted sector-specific orders and inquiries. The weakening of the US dollar has also supported Indian markets through fiscal gains and increased FIIs inflows lately. However, further depreciation of the dollar could pose risks to global equity markets. On the rural front, consumption volumes have shown signs of recovery, aided by a strong rabi harvest and easing domestic inflation. In contrast, subdued urban demand has continued to drag on the performance of FMCG and Consumption-linked sectors. Looking ahead, expectations of a favourable monsoon, sustained inflation moderation, and potential income tax relief are expected to stimulate consumption across both rural and urban segments. The IT sector's Q4FY25 results reflected a cautious industry outlook, with hiring slowing due to global uncertainties inand the ongoing transition to new technologies. Q1FY26 has started on a muted note, with subdued global discretionary spending. Nevertheless, the sector remains optimistic, supported by strong order pipelines and strategic initiatives such as AI upskilling and cost optimization. After the recent 2-months rally the sector valuations are slightly above their long-term averages while earnings outlook is subdued. A further revival in the IT stocks momentum is contingent on the stabilization of U.S. interest rates and progress in tariff negotiations. In the banking and NBFC space, the credit cycle has moderated over the past year, their current focus is on managing yield spreads and preserving asset quality. FY25 witnessed asset quality challenges, particularly in the microfinance and personal loan segments, prompting a more cautious stance from lenders. However, recent trends suggest these risks are easing, with asset quality expected to improve through the year. Looking ahead to FY26, the earnings growth outlook has improved slightly, buoyed by better-than-expected Q4 results. If inflation, interest rates, and tariff uncertainties ease, market sentiment could turn more positive. Additionally, cut in taxation and increased government expenditure are expected to further stimulate domestic demand. Currently, projections place India's earnings growth at 10–12% for FY26, up from sub-5% in FY25. Sectors likely to lead this growth include rate-sensitive ones like Banks, NBFCs, Auto, and Realty, driven by anticipated demand increases and reduced operational costs. Domestic consumption is also expected to rise, benefiting FMCG, Consumer Durables, Fertilizers, and the Agri sector. In anticipation of improvement in broad economy, portfolio strategies are shifting, with increased diversification into mid- and small-cap equities. The valuation premium of midcaps over large caps has normalized, and with domestic risks easing and global risks potentially moderating—like BTA finalization—investors are positioning for broader market participation in the coming quarters. Lately, domestic equity indices have remained rangebound with a slight negative bias, in that large-cap stocks are facing greater pressure. This could be primarily due to the lack of support from FIIs due to high volatility in global currency. USD has been depreciating heavily in the last 3 months, even to Asian peers like Japan & India. Additionally, retail investors are on a profit booking mode. After the two months rally India valuation has breached 20x one year forward P/E, 21x is the 3years peak. Some lingering concerns are reciprocal tariff June deadline, India-US trade, US-EC trade and weakening dollar posing as key external risk. India's earnings visibility needs to improve in tandem with the macros and peaking valuation, for which we may have to wait to get a better foresee of the upcoming June quarter, could be a vital stabilizer to the market trend. Despite the better than holistic view tendered by Q4 the market needs to see a solid upside in FY26 earnings, Q1 could be the leading clue.
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
Miley Cyrus on tattoo regrets: 'I could have skipped a few'
(Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates.
