The United States has finalised steep fee increases for its EB-5 immigrant-investor programme, with the cost of the main application set to more than double from November 30, a change likely to affect Indian applicants seeking permanent residence through investment.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the revised fee structure on Tuesday. The agency said the fee for Form I-526, used by standalone investors, will rise from $3,675 to $7,615, while the fee for an initial Form I-526E petition, used by investors participating through an approved regional centre, will increase from $3,675 to $7,850. Initial I-526 and I-526E petitions will also carry a $75 technology fee.
Why the Fees Are Rising
The final rule was developed under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, which directed USCIS to conduct a programme-specific fee study and set fees high enough to recover the full cost of administering the programme. The agency said the new schedule is intended to cover application processing, background checks, eligibility reviews and stronger integrity measures such as audits, compliance reviews, site visits and fraud detection.
The final rule also creates a new Form I-527 for certain investors whose regional centre or project has been terminated. The filing will cost $10,330 and is intended to help eligible investors preserve their place in the immigration process.
Regional Centres Face Sharper Increases
Charges on regional centres will rise even more sharply. The fee for an initial Form I-956 application seeking regional-centre designation will climb from $17,795 to $44,115, and the charge for Form I-956F, used to seek approval of an investment in a commercial enterprise, will rise to $42,675. The annual Form I-956G fee, by contrast, will fall from $3,035 to $2,165.
The fee schedule was released for public inspection on Tuesday and is due to be formally published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. Bloomberg Law noted that the move came after the agency pulled back steep 2024 fee increases, when a federal judge found it had raised costs without a required fee study, restoring I-526 fees to $3,675 at the time.
Sources: USCIS Adjusts EB-5 Fees to Cover Program Costs and Strengthen Integrity Measures — USCIS | US doubles key EB-5 investor visa fees — IANS | Immigrant Investor Visa Fees Get Overhaul in Final DHS Rule — Bloomberg Law
US Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the revised fee structure on Tuesday. The agency said the fee for Form I-526, used by standalone investors, will rise from $3,675 to $7,615, while the fee for an initial Form I-526E petition, used by investors participating through an approved regional centre, will increase from $3,675 to $7,850. Initial I-526 and I-526E petitions will also carry a $75 technology fee.
Why the Fees Are Rising
The final rule was developed under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, which directed USCIS to conduct a programme-specific fee study and set fees high enough to recover the full cost of administering the programme. The agency said the new schedule is intended to cover application processing, background checks, eligibility reviews and stronger integrity measures such as audits, compliance reviews, site visits and fraud detection.
The final rule also creates a new Form I-527 for certain investors whose regional centre or project has been terminated. The filing will cost $10,330 and is intended to help eligible investors preserve their place in the immigration process.
Regional Centres Face Sharper Increases
Charges on regional centres will rise even more sharply. The fee for an initial Form I-956 application seeking regional-centre designation will climb from $17,795 to $44,115, and the charge for Form I-956F, used to seek approval of an investment in a commercial enterprise, will rise to $42,675. The annual Form I-956G fee, by contrast, will fall from $3,035 to $2,165.
The fee schedule was released for public inspection on Tuesday and is due to be formally published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. Bloomberg Law noted that the move came after the agency pulled back steep 2024 fee increases, when a federal judge found it had raised costs without a required fee study, restoring I-526 fees to $3,675 at the time.
Sources: USCIS Adjusts EB-5 Fees to Cover Program Costs and Strengthen Integrity Measures — USCIS | US doubles key EB-5 investor visa fees — IANS | Immigrant Investor Visa Fees Get Overhaul in Final DHS Rule — Bloomberg Law
