The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) finalized a rule on Tuesday that nearly doubles the cost of applying for the EB-5 immigrant investor visa. The new fee structure takes effect on November 30. For standalone investors filing Form I-526, the fee jumps from USD 3,675 to USD 7,615. Regional-center investors filing Form I-526E face an even steeper hike, from USD 3,675 to USD 7,850, plus a mandatory USD 75 technology fee.
This isn't just a bureaucratic line-item change. It’s a direct hit to the pocketbooks of Indian families who have long viewed the EB-5 program as a reliable fast-track to the Green Card. The program, created by US Congress in 1990, grants permanent residency to foreign investors who commit capital to US commercial enterprises. The requirement: invest USD 1.05 million (or USD 800,000 in targeted employment areas) and create at least 10 full-time jobs for American workers.
USCIS justified the increase by citing its reliance on user fees rather than tax revenue. "The cost of reviewing applications, conducting background checks, verifying eligibility, detecting fraud, and maintaining programme operations must be paid by those who use the immigration system," the agency stated in a press release. The logic is simple: the user pays for the service. But for applicants already navigating a decade-long backlog driven by surging demand from India, the added cost compounds an already painful wait.
The fee hikes extend well beyond the initial petition. Investors seeking to remove conditions on their permanent residency via Form I-829 will now pay USD 5,000, up from USD 3,750. Regional centers, the entities that pool investor capital, face the sharpest increases. The fee for Form I-956, seeking regional-center designation, soars from USD 17,795 to USD 44,115. Form I-956F, used to approve specific commercial enterprise investments, climbs to USD 42,675 from USD 17,795.
A few costs drop. The annual fee for Form I-956G falls from USD 3,035 to USD 2,165. USCIS also introduced a new Form I-527, costing USD 10,330, for investors amending older I-526 petitions. The program remains subject to annual caps and per-country limits, meaning the fee hike doesn't solve the backlog—it just makes each step in the queue more expensive.
For Indian applicants, the decision lands hard. Many families have already committed substantial capital and endured years of administrative processing. The November 30 deadline forces a rapid reassessment of financial viability. Those in the queue must now weigh the increased upfront cost against the uncertain timeline for visa availability. The next step is clear: applicants must file under the new fee schedule by the effective date to avoid rejection, while USCIS begins absorbing the higher revenue stream.