3 days ago
With US Grudging Visas, Students Veer to EB-5
Live Events
Following the crackdown on student visas , many Indians currently in the US and those considering colleges there are exploring the EB-5 route. The EB-5 visa programme provides a path to a Green Card , or permanent residency, to foreign investors putting in $800,000 (about ₹7 crore).In the past four to five months, in Donald Trump's second term as US President, immigration lawyers have seen more than 100% jump in EB-5 applications from Indian students , they told ET. A limited number of visas, however, are available each year under the category—about 700 for the US the most popular destination for higher studies — 86,000 Indians there in 2024 — experts see a scramble for EB-5 this year. 'There is a sharp jump in EB-5 applications,' said Rajneesh Pathak, founder of Global North Residency and Citizenship, an immigration law firm. 'But unlike previous years, when we had mostly H-1B visa holders applying, the interest from F-1 visa holders has risen by 100% over the last few months.' F-1 is a non-immigrant visa that allows international students to enter and stay in the US to pursue full-time academic studies, with limited work and Associations, another immigration law firm in the US, is also seeing a significant interest from Indian students and H-1B holders to pursue the EB-5 visa route. The current I-526E adjudication timelines are significantly faster than in previous years. 'In some instances, what once took three years is now being processed in as little as three months,' said its founder and chairman, Mark flexibility allows applicants to live and work freely in the US while their Green Card cases are pending, said Davies. Students holding a Green Card have legal protection that F-1 visa holders do not have.'We are advising students to maximise their time within the US and avoid unnecessary foreign travel or extended breaks,' said Sukanya Raman, country head, Davies and Associates.
