On July 14, 2016, USCIS released updated processing times for the Immigrant Investor Program Office (IPO).

The updated processing times are as follow:

• Form I-526 Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur:  16.6 months

• Form I-829 Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions:  20.1 months

• Form I-924 Application for Regional Center:  9.9 months

• Processing times for I-829 petitions have increased due to more petitions being submitted as a result of investors reaching the end of their two year conditional permanent residency status.  We also note that while the IPO states the processing times for Form I-924s are 9.9 months, practitioners are reporting that it is taking longer than that timeframe.

Applicants with pending I-526 petitions can check the status of the case online; applicants can also email USCIS.ImmigrantInvestorProgram@uscis.dhs.gov for updates on cases pending beyond the above-mentioned processing times.