This Friday, if President Trump does not sign a federal spending bill into law, the government could enter its second shutdown of the year and here’s what that would mean for the EB-5 Regional Center Program.

If the EB-5 Regional Center Program is not reauthorized, then no new Regional Center investor I-526 Petitions can be sent to USCIS and filed.

Although they cannot be filed, they can still be prepared, so investors should still consult with their immigration attorneys about the process and continue acquiring all the evidence needed in preparation for filing.

Additionally, despite the shutdown, investors will still needy to respond in a timely fashion to any request for evidence (RFE) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID). USCIS will still be processing many EB-5 functions even throughout the shutdown and investors must be prepared to still file their I-829 Petitions and to attend their interviews if they’re not canceled.A government shutdown would mean no new interviews are scheduled until the program is extended. No new adjustments of status (I-485) applications will be able to be filed either. Again, however, any USCIS requests for additional information regarding an already filed adjustment of status forms must be responded to in a timely manner to avoid denials or delays. Investors can file renewals for their employment applications as well as advance parole.Most importantly, even if an investor is able to continue through the EB-5 Regional Center Program process during the shutdown, no new immigrant visas will be issued until the program is extended and the government shutdown is over.The shutdown may cause the State Department services to become slower and it may even continue to affect processes even after the government shutdown ends and services resume operations.EB-5 immigrant investors can still file their I-526 petitions until this Friday, February 15th without worry if they’re concerned about the U.S. entering a second government shutdown where the EB-5 Regional Center Program would lapse. Filing now can lock in a spot for eligible EB-5 investors.For more information, send us a message.[formidable id="11" title="1"]