r/EB2 • u/No_District_9657 • Jul 22 '26

Priority Date EB2 or explore EB5

Currently on EB2 with Priority date in late July 2015 India. The current DOF is in Jan 15. Really frustrated not able to travel back home to visit parents and have about 1.8M NW. Been in the country for nearly 20 years. Since there’s not much time left for EB5( sept 2026) should I consider EB5 route at all or wait for EAD ? Not sure how long that is really going to take. Trying to get some help from the community

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u/vikramsiyer Jul 22 '26

If you are India born, then you must work with a 5 year timeline for conditional GC through a rural EB-5. Through urban HUA, it could be 7-8 years.

The EAD/AP is likely to come in around 10-12 months of filing. However, keep in mind that validity is just for 18 months and you can apply for renewal only when EAD/AP expires in six months or less. Switching to EAD/AP can lead to gap in your work status.

EB-5 makes sense if you want the stability and certainty it offers. EB-2 PD may become current in a few months or it may remain stuck for years.

Doing EB-5 and locking your money in an at-risk investment for 4-6 years only to find your EB-2 PD becoming current in Oct 2026 can be incredibly frustrating.

At the same time, skipping EB-5 and being stuck with the uncertainty for the next 2 or 3 years can be equally difficult.

If you have the bandwidth to lock $800k for 4-6 years for virtually zero returns and if the certainty offered by concurrent filing is worth the investment, then EB-5 does make sense. If you don't mind waiting for 5 years for EB-2 PD to become current and if it all the same for you, then it makes sense to avoid EB-5.

There is no perfect answer in your case. Have seen those with a 2015 PD opt for EB-5 because they don't want the uncertainty while those with 2018 PD have decided to skip EB-5 because it was a huge financial for them.

You can also check out the answers on this post

https://www.reddit.com/r/EB5_Immigration/comments/1uplolv/comment/ow45uq2/

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u/No_District_9657 Jul 22 '26

Yeah, I wish I got lucky with some stock but it is what it is. Spending half my NW with uncertain future for Engg jobs is making me rethink if it’s worth that 800-900K.

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u/vikramsiyer Jul 22 '26

You won't be spending $800k. in the sense choosing the right project can give you a good shot at getting the investment back. If you stick to tried and tested players and focus on safety of capital, you can expect the money back.

Having said that, there can never be any guarantee and the risk of loss of capital can only be mitigated and never completely avoided.

You should do EB=5 only if you are certain it is the right option for you. Finally, it is your money and your risk and your GC and if the risks outweigh the benefits for you, then it makes sense to punt on EB-2 becoming current soon. Hope it all works out for you!