Ahmedabad: The race for a US green card is pushing more families from Gujarat towards the EB-5 investor visa. Consultants say last-minute enquiries have risen sharply, with some regional centres no longer accepting fresh applications. A large share of the demand is coming from families whose children are already in the US on H-1B visas and want an alternative route to permanent residency.“Applicants are increasingly looking at EB-5 to secure their long-term status in US. There is now a rush to file applications, but many regional centres are avoiding fresh cases. Those who are ready are applying because they want to secure their future,” said immigration consultant Janak Nayak.He said the enquiries were also coming from H-1B holders whose visas were nearing expiry, financially stronger families and applicants with relatives in the US.“Many H-1B holders have no clarity about when they may get green cards, and the delays are significant. Companies also prefer employees with permanent residency rather than those whose H-1B visas may expire. This is pushing more people to explore EB-5,” Nayak said.The immediate rush has been intensified by the availability of visas. US State Department said all EB-5 unreserved immigrant visas available for applicants chargeable to India for fiscal year 2026 had been issued by June 5. The category is unavailable for the rest of FY2026, with the annual limit scheduled to reset on Oct 1.Consultants said the programme itself remains authorised under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act until Sep 30, 2027.The current minimum investment is $1.05 million (Rs 10 crore approx.). The threshold is $800,000 (Rs 7.6 crore approx.) if the investment is made in a targeted employment area or a qualifying infrastructure project.Consultants also pointed out another trend emerging among Gujarat’s business families: parents are funding EB-5 applications for children already studying or working in the US, while choosing not to apply for permanent residency themselves.“We are seeing promoters fund EB-5 applications for their children but stay off the petition personally. They want to secure their child’s long-term pathway in the US, but do not want permanent residency to bring their worldwide income and assets into the US tax-reporting system,” said immigration consultant Dhananjaysinh Chudasama.US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) generally treats green-card holders as US tax residents, requiring them to report worldwide income. They may also have reporting obligations relating to foreign financial accounts and assets.“We are seeing families plan it as education-to-residency rather than wealth migration,” he said.Nayak said the regional centres supported by his firm had handled more than 6,000 EB-5 applications, reflecting the scale of demand through the route.Developer Vikram Bharwad said his group had invested in US hotels and received approval from US Citizenship and Immigration Services for an upcoming EB-5 hotel project.“We are receiving several enquiries,” he said.
