Want a US Green Card via EB-5? Fees are set to rise sharply from November 30 — check the new costs

The United States has finalized a sharp increase in fees for foreign investors seeking permanent residency through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme. The revised fee structure, announced by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will take effect from November 30, 2026.

Under the new rules, the filing fee for Form I-526, used by standalone investors, will increase to $7,615 (approximately ₹7,30,619) from the current $3,675 (approximately ₹3,52,710). This represents an increase of more than 100 per cent. The initial Form I-526E petition for investors applying through an approved regional centre will rise to $7,850 (about ₹7,53,168) from $3,675 (about ₹3,52,710).

Both applications will also attract a $75 (approximately ₹7,195) technology fee. Regional-centre investors will additionally be required to pay the programme’s investor integrity fee, according to USCIS.

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Regional-centre charges surge

Fees related to regional centres will see an even steeper increase. The charge for Form I-956, which is filed to seek regional-centre designation, will rise to $44,115 (approximately ₹42,32,718) from $17,795 (₹17,07,540).

The fee for Form I-956F, used to obtain approval for an investment in a commercial enterprise, will increase to $42,675 (approximately ₹40,94,852) from $17,795 (approximately ₹17,07,486). However, the annual fee under Form I-956G will fall to $2,165 (equal to ₹2,07,738) from $3,035 (about ₹2,91,218).

USCIS will also introduce Form I-527 for certain investors seeking to amend older Form I-526 petitions. The new filing will cost $10,330 (approximately ₹9,91,256). The fee for Form I-829, which investors use to remove conditions on their permanent resident status, will rise to $5,000 (approximately ₹4,79,300) from $3,750 (approximately ₹3,59,840) .

What EB-5 offers investors

The EB-5 programme provides a route to a US Green Card for investors who invest $1.05 million (equal to ₹10,07,55,861) in a qualifying commercial enterprise, or $800,000 (approximately ₹76,772,779) in a targeted employment area or infrastructure project. Applicants must also create at least 10 full-time jobs for American workers.

The programme can extend permanent-residency benefits to the investor’s spouse and eligible children. USCIS said the higher fees are necessary because the agency is largely funded by user charges and must recover the cost of application reviews, background checks, fraud detection and programme oversight.

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The final charges are lower than those proposed in an earlier draft, which had suggested a $9,625 (equal to ₹9,23,538) fee for the main investor petition.