USCIS has released an update on the processing times for I 526 Investor Petitions also known as the Immigration Petition for Alien Entrepeneurs. Petitioners have grown accustomed to adjudication of these Petitions taking 6-9 months. The latest update provided by USCIS is that Petitioners can expect these Petitions to take 16 months to approve. As of July 31, 2013, USCIS is working on I526 petitions filed in March 2012.
This delay in processing can have a significant impact where the Petitioner has invested $500 000 to $1 million dollars in a business but would have to conceivable wait 16 months for I526 approval and then a minimum of an additional 6 months for consular processing to be able to come to the United States to manage their investment.
