U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced on Friday that it will double the filing fee for the EB‑5 immigrant investor petition, raising the Form I‑526 cost from $3,675 to $7,615 effective Nov. 30, 2026.
The EB‑5 program, created by Congress in 1990, lets foreign investors secure a green card by putting at least $1.05 million into a U.S. enterprise that creates ten full‑time American jobs, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area.
Indian applicants have already surged from 75 filings in FY 2022 to almost 1,900 in FY 2025—an 25‑fold jump—making the program the fastest‑growing immigration route for Indians. The new fee hike adds roughly $3,940 to the initial petition, meaning a standalone investor will now pay more than $7,600 before the required capital is even committed.
Investors using a USCIS‑approved regional centre face an even steeper rise: the Form I‑526E fee jumps from $3,675 to $7,850, a $4,175 increase, and the Form I‑829 to remove conditions climbs to $5,000.
USCIS said the increase reflects the cost of processing, background checks, fraud prevention and program maintenance, as the agency relies on fee revenue rather than taxes.
Indian investors will need to re‑budget for the higher filing costs, and those hoping for a green card must still contend with annual caps and country‑specific limits that already constrain the unreserved category.