USCIS Adjusts EB-5 Fees to Cover Program Costs and Strengthen Integrity Measures

The new fee structure is scheduled to take effect Nov. 30, 2026.

The changes implement requirements of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, which directed USCIS to conduct a program-specific fee study and establish fees sufficient to recover the costs associated with administering the investor visa program.

The EB-5 program provides a pathway to lawful permanent residence for eligible foreign investors who make qualifying investments in U.S. commercial enterprises and meet job-creation requirements.

Key EB-5 fee changes

Under the revised fee schedule, several major EB-5 filing fees will change:

• Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor: $7,615

• Form I-526E, Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor: $7,850 for an initial petition

• Form I-829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status: $5,000

• Form I-956, Application for Regional Center Designation: $44,115 for an initial application

• Form I-956F, Application for Approval of an Investment in a Commercial Enterprise: $42,675

• Form I-956G, Regional Center Annual Statement: $2,165

USCIS is also introducing a $75 EB-5 technology fee for initial Form I-526 and Form I-526E filings.

Although several fees will increase significantly, some regional-center-related fees will decrease compared with amounts previously charged.

New Form I-527

The rule also creates Form I-527, Amendment to Legacy Form I-526, with a filing fee of $10,330.

The new form is intended for certain investors who filed legacy Form I-526 petitions before implementation of the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act and need to amend their petitions under circumstances allowed by law, such as the termination of a regional center or debarment of certain entities associated with the investment.

Integrity Fund fees also changing

USCIS is adjusting fees associated with the EB-5 Integrity Fund, which helps finance audits, investigations, site visits, fraud detection and other compliance activities.

The investor Integrity Fund fee will increase from $1,000 to $1,100.

For regional centers, annual Integrity Fund fees will increase to:

• $11,000 for regional centers with 20 or fewer investors; and

• $22,000 for regional centers with more than 20 investors.

The adjustments reflect inflation since the Integrity Fund requirements were established.

USCIS is also formalizing penalties for regional centers that fail to make their required Integrity Fund payments on time. Continued failure to pay can ultimately result in termination of regional-center designation.

Why USCIS is changing the fees

USCIS operates primarily through fees paid by applicants and petitioners rather than through direct congressional appropriations for most of its operations.

The agency says the revised EB-5 fees are intended to ensure that revenue from the program more accurately reflects the resources required to adjudicate petitions, conduct background and eligibility reviews, perform compliance work and maintain the program’s technology infrastructure.

The additional resources are also intended to support processing-time goals established under the 2022 EB-5 reform law.

The Reform and Integrity Act expanded USCIS oversight of regional centers and related entities, including authority for audits, site visits and investigations aimed at detecting fraud and ensuring that EB-5 investments comply with federal requirements.

What investors should know

Prospective EB-5 investors and regional centers planning filings around the transition date should pay particular attention to when their petitions are submitted.

Filings submitted on or after Nov. 30, 2026, will generally need to include the applicable new fees. Applicants should verify the current USCIS fee schedule and form editions immediately before submitting a petition.

The fee changes affect the administrative costs of pursuing EB-5 immigration benefits. They do not by themselves change the underlying statutory investment amounts, job-creation requirements or other eligibility criteria governing the EB-5 program.

For investors already considering an EB-5 application, the new fee structure makes it particularly important to understand the total government filing costs associated with each stage of the immigration process.