The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Visa allows foreign nationals to obtain US green cards by investing in a US business that creates jobs for US workers. Created by Congress in 1990 to stimulate the US economy through foreign investment.

Official USCIS fees (current, and new fees from November 30, 2026)

Verified sources: Form G-1055 fee schedule (current fees) and Federal Register 2026-20016, the EB-5 fee final rule published September 30, 2026 and effective November 30, 2026 (new fees, 8 CFR 106.2(d))

Filing fee

  • Fee: $3,675 for Form I-526E, plus the separate $1,000 EB-5 Integrity Fund fee required on every initial I-526E filed on or after October 1, 2022 — $4,675 total (Form G-1055, ed. 10/16/26). These fees apply to filings postmarked through November 29, 2026.
  • From November 30, 2026: any EB-5 filing postmarked on or after that date must carry the new fees — $7,850 for an initial Form I-526E (this includes a $75 EB-5 technology fee) plus the EB-5 Integrity Fund petition fee, which rises to $1,100 — $8,950 total. A standalone investor’s Form I-526 becomes $7,615 (also including the $75 technology fee), and Form I-829 (removing conditions) becomes $5,000, up from $3,750 (final rule 2026-20016)

EB-5 Regional Center investor petition

Verify current fee

⚠️ USCIS fees can change. Verify the current fee before filing at:

Two investment levels

Standard Investment: $1,050,000 (2024 figures)

In any US business creating 10 full-time jobs for US workers.

Targeted Employment Area (TEA): $800,000

In businesses located in:

  • High unemployment area — for petitions filed on or after March 15, 2022, an area the Secretary of Homeland Security designates as high-unemployment; the USCIS Policy Manual says the area’s weighted unemployment rate must be at least 150% of the national average
  • Rural area — outside any metropolitan statistical area (MSA) and outside the boundary of any city or town with a population of 20,000 or more, based on the most recent decennial census

TEA provides $250,000 discount but limits where you can invest.

Two participation models

Direct Investment

You take part in managing the business yourself — USCIS requires day-to-day managerial responsibility or policy formulation:

  • More control
  • More risk
  • Requires hands-on business experience
  • 10 direct full-time employees required
  • Typical examples: hotels, manufacturing, agribusiness

Regional Center (passive)

You invest in a USCIS-approved Regional Center project:

  • Passive investment (no hands-on management)
  • 10 jobs can be direct + INDIRECT + INDUCED (much easier to count); for regional-center petitions filed on or after March 15, 2022, up to 90% of the full-time positions may be created indirectly
  • Typical examples: large real estate, infrastructure, industrial parks
  • The Regional Center Program was reauthorized by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, effective May 14, 2022, through September 30, 2027 (per the Federal Register rule 2026-20016), so it has an end date again — check the current USCIS approved regional center list before investing in any specific project

Eligibility

  1. Source of funds documented as lawful (most rigorous part)
  2. Investment is “at risk” — could lose money in business venture
  3. 10 full-time jobs created for qualifying US workers (employees) — preserved jobs count only in a troubled business, which must keep its employment at no less than the pre-investment level for at least 2 years
  4. Lawful immigrant intent
  5. Cannot be involved in fraudulent activity

The process

Phase 1: Investment + I-526E filing

  1. Choose investment (direct or Regional Center)
  2. Document source of funds (this takes 6-12 months — bank records, tax returns, gift letters, sale records)
  3. Make investment ($800K-$1.05M)
  4. File Form I-526E (Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor) with USCIS for a regional-center investment, or Form I-526 (Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor) for a direct investment
  5. Wait for I-526E approval — USCIS’s own “80% completed within” figure for the Immigrant Investor Program Office was 35 months when this page was last verified; check the live USCIS processing times before planning around a date

Phase 2: Conditional green card

After I-526E approved:

  • Apply for conditional permanent residency
  • If outside US: consular processing (DS-260)
  • If in US legally: AOS via I-485
  • Receive 2-year conditional green card

Phase 3: Remove conditions (after 21 months)

  • Form I-829 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Status)
  • Filed within the 90-day period immediately before the second anniversary of obtaining conditional permanent resident status (Federal Register rule 2026-20016)
  • USCIS verifies: jobs created/maintained, investment sustained, business continues
  • If approved: permanent (10-year) green card

Phase 4: Naturalization

  • 5 years after initial green card date
  • Form N-400, $760 fee on paper or $710 online
  • Same as any other naturalization

Family included

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 receive derivative green cards. They get:

  • Green cards
  • Work authorization
  • Path to citizenship
  • Eligibility to establish state residency for tuition purposes — in-state rates still require meeting each state’s own durational residency test (commonly 12 months of domicile plus intent), so a derivative who enrolls on arrival usually pays out-of-state rates first

Cost breakdown

ItemCost
Investment$800,000 - $1,050,000
USCIS filing fees, postmarked through Nov 29, 2026 (I-526E $3,675 + $1,000 Integrity Fund, I-485 $1,440, I-829 $3,750)$9,865
USCIS filing fees, postmarked from Nov 30, 2026 (I-526E $7,850 + $1,100 Integrity Fund, I-485 $1,440, I-829 $5,000)$15,390
Immigration attorneySet by the firm; no published range
Source of funds documentation/accountants$5,000-$25,000
Business setup costs (direct only)$50,000-$500,000+
Total$815,000 - $1,085,000+ for filings postmarked through Nov 29, 2026; $820,000 - $1,090,000+ from Nov 30, 2026 (plus attorney fees, and business setup costs for a direct investment)

Critical risks

  1. Investment fails — you may lose money
  2. USCIS denies I-526E — you may lose investment + filing fees
  3. Jobs aren’t created — green card not approved at I-829
  4. Fraudulent operator — some Regional Centers have been scams

What to AVOID

  • Buying a “shelf company” to make it look like you invested
  • Investing in unverified Regional Centers (check USCIS approved list)
  • Hiding source of funds — biggest cause of denials
  • Returning funds to the investor before the 2-year sustainment period ends — for petitions filed on or after March 15, 2022 the capital must be expected to remain invested for not less than 2 years (6 USCIS-PM G.2); returning it early breaks the sustainment requirement
  • Counting excluded people as the 10 employees — USCIS says qualifying employees do not include the investor, the investor’s spouse, sons or daughters, or any nonimmigrant (USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 6, Part G, Ch. 2)

Resources

Last verified: 2026-09-30.

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General procedural information based on official sources. Not personalized legal advice.