Remarkable Change of Investor Immigrant Trend as Reflected in the I-529 and I-829 Statistics of the USCIS Between 2005 and 2012

On 06/28/2012, the USCIS released the statistics of processing of I-529 investor immigrant petition (2-year conditional permanent resident status based on qualified investment) and I-829 removal of conditional resident status petition (after two years in conditional resident status). As summarized in the following table, the change in number of petitions and the rate of approval are literally dramatic. In 2005, they received only 332 I-529 petitions and only 53% petitions were approved, while in 2011 the number of I-529 increased to 3,805 petitions and the approval rate also increased to 81%. For the first two quarters alone of 2012 (ending 03/31/2012), the number of new I-529 petitions marked 2,771 and 85% of the petitions were approved. The statistics of removal of the two-year conditional resident status based on investment immigrant program also reflect a remarkable changes: Only 37 removal petition in 2005 with 62% of approval rate, while by 2011, the number increased to 2,345 and 96% of approval rate!

 

FY	I-526 Receipts	I-526 Approval Rate	I-829 Receipts	I-829 Approval Rate
2005	332	53%	27	62%
2008	1,257	84%	390	70%
2011	3,805	81%	2,345	96%
2012 (First 2 Quarters)	2,771	85%	375	96%
TOTAL	12,410		4,635

For the full statistics, please click here. Part of these investments represent "equity" investments feeding capital to this country's enterprises to create jobs and generate associated businesses. This trend of immigration policy is contrasted with skilled worker immigrant programs that have been continuously constrained by the restrictive immigration policy of the nation. Common sense should dictate that "brain" should be as important as "money or capital" for the long-term growth of this nation and sustaining power of its leadership in the world.