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Perplexity ChatGPT Claude Gemini

US to More Than Double EB-5 Filing Fees From November 30: What It Means for Indian Investors

Perplexity ChatGPT Claude Gemini
US to More Than Double EB-5 Filing Fees From November 30: What It Means for Indian Investors

The EB-5 program has long offered foreign investors a route to a U.S. green card in exchange for capital and jobs. From November 30, the government’s price of admission is about to climb. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has finalized a fee schedule that more than doubles the cost of applying for an EB-5 visa, a change likely to affect applicants from India.

Here, our EB-1A consultants have presented a detailed analysis of the bill along with auxiliary readings and detailed notes.

The new numbers

The filing fee for Form I-526, used by standalone investors, rises from $3,675 to $7,615, a 107% increase. For Form I-526E, filed through an approved regional center, the fee climbs to $7,850, a 114% rise. Initial petitions also carry a new $75 technology fee.

Not every fee doubles. Form I-829, which removes conditions from an investor’s green card, rises from $3,750 to $5,000, and the rule does not raise fees for Form I-485 or DS-260. USCIS estimates the changes affect more than 16,000 annual filings and lift average EB-5 filing costs by roughly 70.7%.

Why the government says it is necessary

The rule implements the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, which required USCIS to study the program’s costs and set fees to recover them. USCIS also notes that it is largely funded by the fees it charges, rather than taxes. Its press release said the costs of reviewing applications, background checks and fraud detection “must be paid by those who use the immigration system.” 

The road here was bumpy. USCIS raised EB-5 fees in 2024, but a federal court stayed the hikes in November 2025 because the agency had not finished a program-specific fee study. That produced a roughly 12.5-month “fee holiday” for investors. The Department of Homeland Security then proposed a $9,625 fee for the main form, but the final fee is $7,615, which USCIS said reflected further workload analysis and public feedback. EB5Investors.com reports that, because proper procedure was followed this time, the industry consensus is that the fees can withstand future court challenges. 

Bigger bills for regional centers, and a new form

The heaviest increases fall on regional centers. Form I-956, the designation application, rises from $17,795 to $44,115, the single largest increase in the rule, while project approval on Form I-956F reaches $42,675. The annual Integrity Fund payment for centers with 20 or fewer investors rises from $10,000 to $11,000, with a 10 percent penalty for late payment.

Investors get a new form too. Form I-527, priced at $10,330, lets older investors preserve their eligibility if a regional center is terminated or a project collapses. It applies only to those whose petitions predate the 2022 law. Commenters called the fee punitive, yet USCIS set it about $2,000 above its original proposal, saying it expects few filings.

What Indian investors should weigh

Indian applicants are a closely watched group. India TV News reports that demand for the EB-5 program from India has increased significantly in recent years. Even so, government fees are a small slice of the total. Investors must still commit $800,000 in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project, or $1.05 million elsewhere, and create at least 10 full-time jobs. Business Standard notes that the USCIS fee is only one part of the overall cost, and that the choice between a regional-center and standalone route can matter for an investor’s timeline. 

The queue may matter more than the fee. The October 2026 Visa Bulletin lists India’s unreserved EB-5 category with a final action date of December 1, 2023 and a filing date of May 1, 2024. An investor with a later priority date will wait regardless of what the petition costs.

Two deadlines, not one

The fee deadline should not be confused with a second date. Any application, petition or request postmarked on or after November 30 must carry the new fees, so filing before then locks in today’s schedule. Separately, on January 1, 2027, the program’s minimum investment amounts face an automatic inflation adjustment, with the targeted-employment-area threshold expected to jump from $800,000 to an estimated $940,000 or more. Once the new fees take effect, they are expected to stand until the next mandatory two-year fee study, around late 2028. 

The wider program is authorized through September 30, 2027, and USCIS expects Congress to extend it once more. The administration has also said its “gold card” would not replace EB-5.

The bottom line

For most Indian investors, the fee rise is an added expense rather than a deal-breaker. The bigger decisions remain the project, the queue and the January 1 investment threshold. Anyone with a case in progress should speak to an immigration attorney before the November 30 cutoff.

At GCEB1, our EB-1A experts are consistently bringing detailed analysis and insights to our candidates and customers. Get in touch with us for personalized mentorship. We wish you a safe and stress free immigration journey ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the EB-5 program?

It lets foreign investors and their immediate family apply for a green card by investing in a U.S. commercial enterprise and creating at least 10 full-time jobs.

2. When do the new fees start?

On November 30, 2026, per the Federal Register rule.

3. What will Forms I-526 and I-526E cost?

$7,615 for I-526 and $7,850 for an initial I-526E, up from $3,675 each, plus a $75 technology fee on initial petitions.

4. Will I pay the old fee if I file earlier?

The rule applies to filings postmarked on or after November 30, so earlier filings fall under the current schedule.

5. Do the I-485 and DS-260 fees change?

No. The rule does not introduce a new fee hike for either form.

6. What is Form I-527?

A new form, priced at $10,330, for older investors who need to preserve eligibility if a regional center is terminated or a project collapses.

7. Is the minimum investment amount rising too?

Not on November 30. A separate inflation adjustment is scheduled for January 1, 2027, with the targeted-employment-area minimum estimated at $940,000 or more.

8. Why did USCIS raise the fees?

It says fees must cover the cost of reviewing applications, background checks and fraud detection. The rule also implements the 2022 EB-5 reform law.

9. Does the fee increase change how long Indian investors wait?

No. Waiting times depend on the monthly Visa Bulletin, not on filing fees.

Notes

  1. Dan Gooding, “Green Card Update: Application Fees More Than Double for Investors,” Newsweek, September 29, 2026, https://www.newsweek.com/green-card-update-application-fees-more-than-double-investors-eb5-12501295.
  2. IANS, “US EB-5 Visa Fee Hike: USCIS More Than Doubles I-526 Filing Fee to $7,615, Raising Costs for Indian Investors Seeking Green Cards,” Free Press Journal, September 30, 2026, https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/us-eb-5-visa-fee-hike-uscis-more-than-doubles-i-526-filing-fee-to-7615-raising-costs-for-indian-investors-seeking-green-cards.
  3. “US EB-5 Fees Jump 114%: What the New Rules Mean for Indian Investors,” Business Standard, September 30, 2026, https://www.business-standard.com/amp/immigration/us-eb-5-fees-jump-114-what-the-new-rules-mean-for-indian-investors-126093000238_1.html.
  4. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “Employment-Based Immigrant Visa, Fifth Preference (EB-5) Fee Rule,” Federal Register, September 30, 2026, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/30/2026-20016/us-citizenship-and-immigration-services-employment-based-immigrant-visa-fifth-preference-eb-5-fee.
  5. EB5Investors.com Staff, “EB-5 Filing Fees to Increase on November 30,” EB5Investors.com, September 29, 2026, https://www.eb5investors.com/blog/eb-5-filing-fees-to-increase-on-november-30/.
  6. “USCIS Finalizes Major EB-5 Fee Increases and New Form I-527,” Erickson Immigration Group, accessed September 30, 2026, https://eiglaw.com/uscis-finalizes-major-eb-5-fee-increases-and-new-form-i-527/.
  7. USCIS, “EB-5 Fee Rule”; Gooding, “Green Card Update”; IANS, “US EB-5 Visa Fee Hike.”
  8. EB5Investors.com Staff, “EB-5 Filing Fees”; Gooding, “Green Card Update.”
  9. EB5Investors.com Staff, “EB-5 Filing Fees”; IANS, “US EB-5 Visa Fee Hike.”
  10. Gooding, “Green Card Update.”
  11. India TV News, “US to Double EB-5 Investor Visa Fees from November 30: How Will It Impact Indians Seeking Green Cards?,” September 30, 2026, https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/us-to-double-eb-5-investor-visa-fees-from-november-30-how-will-it-impact-indians-seeking-green-cards-2026-09-30-1055688.
  12. Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State, “Visa Bulletin for October 2026,” September 4, 2026, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2027/visa-bulletin-for-october-2026.html.
  13. EB5Investors.com Staff, “EB-5 Filing Fees”; Gooding, “Green Card Update.”

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