EB-5 Success Rate: Statistics and What Drives Them
TL;DR
EB-5 I-526E approval rates run 80-90%+ at strong Regional Centers; I-829 approval rates similar. Denials cluster on incomplete source-of-funds documentation and projects that under-deliver on job creation. Project + attorney choice are the controllable variables.
Investors comparing EB-5 to other paths reasonably ask: what's the success rate? The answer depends on what stage and what project, but for high-quality Regional Center filings with strong SOF, the historical numbers are encouraging.
- •I-526E approval rate: 80-90%+ at strong Regional Centers with I-956F-approved projects and complete SOF documentation. USCIS-wide average runs lower because it includes weak filings.
- •Denial drivers — I-526E: incomplete SOF (largest), project document inconsistencies, RIA integrity-measure non-compliance, sometimes investor background check issues.
- •RFE rate: 20-40% across the industry. Strong filings (I-956F project + thorough SOF + experienced attorney) keep RFEs to single digits.
- •I-829 approval rate: 90%+ for projects that hit their job-creation projections. Projects that underperform create I-829 risk across the entire investor cohort.
- •Beyond International Group track record: 716+ I-526 approvals, 242+ I-829 approvals, ~$195.5M capital repaid to EB-5 investors across the firm's portfolio.
- •What investors control: project selection (single biggest factor), SOF documentation quality, attorney choice. Don't control: USCIS adjudicator subjectivity, economic shifts during the 5+ year process.
Success rates aren't fate. Choose an I-956F-approved Rural TEA project with a strong NCE manager + a complete SOF package + an experienced EB-5 attorney, and the probability of a clean approval is very high.
Beyond International Group's portfolio-wide track record (716 I-526 approvals, 242 I-829 approvals, $195.5M returned) is among the strongest in the industry. Beyond Paradise 1 is structured to extend that record.
Related
I-956F project approval — why it matters for you
I-956F is USCIS's pre-vetting of the EB-5 project itself. Filing I-526E against an already-approved I-956F means much faster individual adjudication.
EB-5 NCE Manager: What to Look For
The New Commercial Enterprise (NCE) Manager is the entity that holds your $800K and decides how it gets deployed to the project, monitored across the life of the investment, and (eventually) returned. NCE Manager quality is structurally more important than Regional Center quality, but rarely highlighted in marketing.
Source of Funds: the #1 cause of EB-5 denial
USCIS requires every dollar of your $800K to trace back to a lawful source. Poor documentation is the most common cause of RFEs and denials.
EB-5 RFE Patterns in 2026: Common Reasons and How to Respond
A USCIS Request for Evidence (RFE) on EB-5 most commonly cites source-of-funds gaps, project document inconsistencies, or RIA integrity-measure questions. Responses are due in 60-90 days; failure to respond means denial.
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