U.S. Consulates in Hungary and Poland Resume Processing Immigrant Visas & EB-5 Grandfathering Deadline

In this blog post we bring you some important developments impacting visa applicants in September.

First, the U.S. government has resumed immigrant visa processing for applicants in Hungary and Poland, while processing restrictions remain in place in a number of other countries.

The broader pause was connected to changes in how the Department of State evaluates applicants under the public charge rules and additional training for consular officers.

Although processing has now resumed in Hungary and Poland, applicants in other affected countries may continue to experience delays or canceled immigrant visa appointments.

Applicants with pending cases should continue monitoring instructions and appointment updates from the U.S. embassy or consulate handling their case.

EB-5 News: Grandfathering Deadline Approaches on September 30, 2026

Congress has authorized the EB-5 Regional Center Program through September 30, 2027. However, prospective investors should be aware of an earlier deadline that could affect the protection of their cases.

Under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, investors who file qualifying EB-5 petitions by September 30, 2026 receive what is known as grandfathering protection. This protection is important because an EB-5 case may remain pending beyond the Regional Center Program’s current September 2027 expiration date.

If Congress does not extend the Regional Center Program in 2027, grandfathered investors can generally continue having their EB-5 petitions and related immigration applications processed despite the program’s expiration or a lapse in authorization.

Investors may still be able to file between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027 while the program remains authorized. However, those later filings may not receive the same statutory protection if Congress does not reauthorize the program beyond 2027.

The September 30, 2026 deadline therefore does not mark the end of the EB-5 Regional Center Program. Instead, it is an important deadline for investors who want additional protection against future uncertainty surrounding the program.

Stay informed

These rapidly changing developments highlight the importance of staying informed as immigration policies and processing procedures continue to change. As we learn more, we will post these changes on our blog.

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