EB-5 visa applicants from 75 countries woke up to their worst nightmare on January 14th, 2026. Trump announced an executive order indefinitely pausing immigrant visa processing for nationals of certain countries. Investors who have spent months, even years, on their applications and planning are suddenly in Limbo.
The reasoning behind the indefinite pause is questionable. The government wants to screen out potential public charges, people who might end up on welfare or food stamps. However, remember that we’re discussing investors who must invest between $800,000 and $1 million to obtain an EB-5 visa. How are these people a risk for public assistance?
Host Mona Shah sits down with Jill Jones, General Counsel of Institutional Client Services USA for JTC Group to explore what’s happening. They talk through the questions everyone in EB-5 is asking, such as whether the panic is justified. Should investors continue with their applications or explore alternative options, such as E-2 visas? Some lawyers are even suggesting clients enter on tourist visas and apply for adjustment of status once they’re in the country for ninety days, but that comes with real risks.
Amongst this chaos is the September 30th deadline. Regional Centre protections are expiring, which is creating urgency right when this pause is throwing everything into question.
If you’re an immigration attorney trying to advise worried clients, or an investor wondering what to do next, this conversation cuts through the confusion and gets to what actually matters.
“If I had one piece of … advice, I would say don’t panic. And I would say to investors on the list of 75 countries, don’t stop. Keep going. This will right itself, and it will work out.” — Jill Jones
Jill Jones
Jill joined JTC in 2020 following the acquisition of NES Financial and is the General Counsel of Institutional Client Services USA.
She is General Counsel of Institutional Client Services USA for JTC Group. Responsible for legal, governance, risk and compliance activities in the US, and Jill oversees the Specialty Financial Administration wing, which includes EB-5 Administration, 1031 Exchange, and Delaware Statutory Trust services.
With over 20 years of corporate and compliance experience and having been directly involved in over 600 EB-5 development projects, Jill is uniquely skilled at efficiently structuring subscription escrows and is highly regarded as a thought leader throughout the EB-5 market sector. Jill and her team are integral in negotiating contracts with new customers and designing, developing, and going to market with new product solutions.