US to raise EB-5 visa fees to as much as $7,850, new charges take effect Nov 30

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has finalized a comprehensive fee schedule for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, with substantial increases set to take effect on November 30, 2026.  

According to the agency, the adjustments are designed to ensure that application charges fully cover the administrative costs of running the program while allowing USCIS to hit statutory processing-time targets and bolster fraud-detection measures.  

Under the updated fee framework, initial petition costs will more than double for many applicants. Standalone investors filing Form I-526 will see fees rise from $3,675 to $7,615, while investors utilizing the regional-centre route via Form I-526E will face an increase from $3,675 to $7,850.

Additional charges, including a $75 technology fee and mandatory contributions to the EB-5 Integrity Fund, will bring total initial filing expenses even higher. Furthermore, the cost to file Form I-829 for the removal of conditions on permanent resident status will climb from $3,750 to $5,000.  

Established by Congress in 1990, the EB-5 programme grants foreign investors and their immediate families a pathway to a Green Card by investing capital into U.S. commercial enterprises and creating at least ten full-time jobs for American workers.

While the baseline investment thresholds remain set at $800,000 for targeted employment areas and infrastructure projects and $1.05 million for standard investments, the new rules significantly raise the administrative barrier of entry.  

USCIS operates primarily on collected fees rather than taxpayer appropriations, making applicant charges essential for background checks, compliance audits, and program operations. The agency confirmed that petitions postmarked prior to the November 30 effective date will remain subject to current fee structures, protecting pending applications from the retroactive impact of the final rule.