EB-5 Filing Fees Are Increasing November 30, 2026: What Investors Need to Know

Prospective EB-5 investors have another important deadline approaching.

Beginning November 30, 2026, new USCIS filing fees for the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program will take effect.

For a Regional Center investor filing an initial Form I-526E, the change is significant.

Today, the primary USCIS fees associated with an initial I-526E filing total $4,675:

• $3,675 Form I-526E filing fee
• $1,000 EB-5 Integrity Fund fee

Beginning November 30, those fees will increase to a combined $8,950:

• $7,850 Form I-526E filing fee
• $1,100 EB-5 Integrity Fund fee

That is an increase of $4,275 per investor, meaning the initial government filing cost will nearly double.

Importantly, this change is separate from the scheduled January 1, 2027 increase in the minimum EB-5 investment amount.

For investors considering EB-5 in late 2026, there are therefore two separate dates to understand.

The Short Answer

USCIS EB-5 filing fees increase on November 30, 2026.

Any application, petition, or request postmarked on or after that date must include the fees established under the new rule. DHS published the final EB-5 fee rule on September 30, 2026.

For most new Regional Center investors, the most important change is:

EB-5 Investor Fee	Before Nov. 30, 2026	Beginning Nov. 30, 2026
Form I-526E	$3,675	$7,850
EB-5 Integrity Fund Fee	$1,000	$1,100
Total	$4,675	$8,950

The new $7,850 Form I-526E fee includes a $75 EB-5 Technology Fee established to support improvements to USCIS’s EB-5 information technology systems.

What Is Form I-526E?

Form I-526E, Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor, is the petition filed by an individual investing through an approved EB-5 Regional Center.

The petition asks USCIS to determine whether the investor and investment satisfy the applicable requirements of the EB-5 program.

It is separate from the investor’s actual EB-5 investment capital.

For example, an investor making a qualifying $800,000 Rural or High-Unemployment TEA investment currently contributes that $800,000 to the investment itself and separately pays the applicable government filing fees, along with any offering, legal, or other professional fees.

The USCIS fee increase does not mean that the $800,000 investment itself rises on November 30.

That is a separate change scheduled for January 1, 2027.

How Much Are EB-5 Filing Fees Increasing?

For an initial Regional Center investor, the Form I-526E fee increases from:

$3,675 → $7,850

That’s a $4,175 increase in the petition fee alone.

In addition, the EB-5 Integrity Fund fee paid with the investor petition increases from:

$1,000 → $1,100

Combined, the government fees associated with the initial I-526E filing increase from:

$4,675 → $8,950

DHS’s final rule lists the I-526E increase at 114% for the petition fee itself.

Why Is USCIS Increasing EB-5 Fees?

USCIS is primarily funded through fees paid by applicants and petitioners rather than through congressional appropriations.

In its final rule, DHS explained that it conducted an EB-5-specific fee study using updated projected workloads and program costs.

DHS estimates approximately $105 million in annual EB-5 program-specific costs, compared with approximately $56.6 million in projected revenue under the existing fee schedule.

The new fee schedule is intended to reduce that gap and fund activities associated with administering the EB-5 program, including adjudication, program management, compliance, audits, fraud-prevention activities, and technology improvements.

The Reform and Integrity Act also authorizes USCIS to collect EB-5 Integrity Fund fees that support enhanced program-integrity measures.

What Is the EB-5 Integrity Fund Fee?

The EB-5 Integrity Fund was established under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 to support enhanced oversight of the Regional Center program.

For individual Regional Center investors, the Integrity Fund fee currently paid with Form I-526E is $1,000.

Beginning November 30, that amount becomes:

$1,100

DHS based the increase on inflation between 2022 and 2025, which it calculated at approximately 10%.

This fee is separate from the Form I-526E filing fee.

That distinction matters because investors sometimes see the $7,850 figure and assume it represents the entire government cost associated with filing an I-526E.

It does not.

For a typical initial Regional Center investor filing after November 30, the combined amount is $8,950.

What About the I-829 Fee?

The fee increase does not affect only new investors.

Form I-829 is the petition an EB-5 investor generally files near the end of the two-year conditional permanent-residence period to remove the conditions from permanent-resident status.

Beginning November 30, the Form I-829 filing fee increases from:

$3,750 → $5,000

That is an increase of $1,250, or approximately 33%.

Investors already much further along in the EB-5 process should therefore also be aware of the new fee schedule.

Are Regional Center and Project Filing Fees Increasing Too?

Yes—and some of the largest percentage increases apply to Regional Centers and project sponsors rather than individual investors.

For example:

Regional Center Filing	Current Fee	New Fee
Initial Form I-956 Regional Center Designation	$17,795	$44,115
Form I-956F Project Filing	$17,795	$42,675

The Form I-956F is particularly relevant to EB-5 investors because it is the project-level filing made before individual investors file Form I-526E petitions in a Regional Center offering.

Its filing fee increases by $24,880, from $17,795 to $42,675.

Regional Center annual Integrity Fund fees are also increasing. The fee rises from $20,000 to $22,000 for most Regional Centers and from $10,000 to $11,000 for qualifying Regional Centers with 20 or fewer investors under the statutory calculation.

These are generally costs borne at the Regional Center or offering level rather than government filing fees paid directly by each individual investor.

Does Filing Before November 30 Preserve the Current Fee?

The final rule states that applications, petitions, or requests postmarked on or after November 30, 2026 must include the new fees.

That makes November 30 the relevant USCIS fee deadline.

Investors already preparing an I-526E filing should discuss timing with their immigration attorney and confirm what must be completed for the petition to be properly filed under the existing fee schedule.

A lower filing fee alone should never dictate an immigration or investment decision, but investors who already intend to file may reasonably want to understand whether their case can be completed before the new fee becomes effective.

November 30 vs. January 1: Two Different EB-5 Increases

This distinction may be the most important takeaway for prospective investors.

There are two separate EB-5 cost changes occurring within approximately one month of each other.

November 30, 2026: USCIS Filing Fees Increase

This changes the amount investors pay to the government to file petitions such as Form I-526E.

For a new Regional Center investor:

$4,675 → $8,950 in initial government fees

January 1, 2027: Minimum Investment Amount Adjusts for Inflation

This is a completely separate issue.

The current minimum EB-5 investment amounts are:

• $800,000 for qualifying TEA and infrastructure investments
• $1,050,000 for other EB-5 investments

Federal law requires those investment thresholds to adjust for inflation beginning January 1, 2027.

The November filing-fee increase therefore affects fees paid to USCIS.

The January investment adjustment affects how much capital an investor must place into the EB-5 investment itself.

Investors should not confuse the two.

How Much Does EB-5 Actually Cost?

This is where terminology becomes important.

The EB-5 investment amount is not the same as the cost of the EB-5 process.

For a qualifying Regional Center investment today, an investor may encounter several separate categories of capital and expense:

EB-5 Investment Capital

Currently $800,000 for a qualifying TEA or infrastructure investment.

This capital is invested in the applicable New Commercial Enterprise and remains subject to investment risk. Depending on the offering and its performance, the capital may ultimately be returned to the investor pursuant to the offering documents and applicable EB-5 requirements.

USCIS Filing Fees

Beginning November 30:

• I-526E: $7,850
• Integrity Fund: $1,100

Initial USCIS total: $8,950

These are government fees and are not investment capital.

Offering or Administrative Fee

Many Regional Center offerings charge an administrative or offering fee separate from the underlying EB-5 investment.

The amount varies by offering.

Immigration Counsel

Investors typically retain their own EB-5 immigration attorney to prepare the petition, document the lawful source and path of funds, and advise on immigration matters.

Other Potential Costs

Depending on the investor’s circumstances, these may include:

• Translation
• Tax advice
• International transfers
• Source-of-funds documentation
• Adjustment-of-status fees
• Consular-processing expenses
• Other professional fees

For that reason, saying simply that “EB-5 costs $800,000” is incomplete.

The $800,000 is the current qualifying investment amount for applicable projects—not the investor’s total out-of-pocket cost.

Should Investors Rush to File Before November 30?

No.

An additional $4,275 in government filing fees is meaningful, but it is small relative to an $800,000 investment.

Investors should not rush into an EB-5 project they have not adequately evaluated merely to save several thousand dollars in filing fees.

Project selection, immigration eligibility, source-of-funds preparation, job creation, developer experience, capital structure, collateral, and repayment strategy remain much more important considerations.

However, for an investor who has already selected a project, retained immigration counsel, completed due diligence, and substantially prepared the source-of-funds documentation, there may be a legitimate financial benefit to completing the filing before the new fee schedule becomes effective.

The distinction is simple:

Do not rush the decision. But once the decision has been made, understand the deadlines.

Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 EB-5 Fee Increase

When do the new EB-5 filing fees take effect?

The new fees take effect November 30, 2026. Applications, petitions, and requests postmarked on or after that date must include the new fees.

What will the Form I-526E filing fee be?

The initial Form I-526E filing fee will be $7,850, including a $75 EB-5 Technology Fee.

Is the $1,100 Integrity Fund fee included in the $7,850?

No. The $1,100 Integrity Fund fee is separate.

A new Regional Center investor filing an initial Form I-526E after November 30 will therefore generally pay $8,950 between those two USCIS charges.

What is the current I-526E fee?

The current Form I-526E filing fee is $3,675, plus the separate $1,000 Integrity Fund fee, for a combined $4,675.

Is the $800,000 EB-5 investment also increasing November 30?

No.

November 30 is the effective date for the new USCIS fee schedule.

The minimum EB-5 investment amounts are separately scheduled to adjust for inflation beginning January 1, 2027.

Does the fee increase affect existing EB-5 investors?

Potentially. Investors filing Form I-829 on or after November 30 will face the new $5,000 filing fee, even though their initial EB-5 investment may have occurred years earlier.

Final Thoughts

Late 2026 brings two significant changes for prospective EB-5 investors.

First, USCIS filing fees increase on November 30.

Then, minimum EB-5 investment amounts are scheduled to adjust for inflation on January 1.

For an investor already considering EB-5, these deadlines deserve attention.

But they should remain in perspective.

The difference between paying $4,675 and $8,950 in initial government fees is meaningful. The quality of an $800,000 investment is far more important.

At Paragon Capital Group, we believe investors should make EB-5 decisions based first on immigration suitability and disciplined investment due diligence—not simply deadlines or fee savings.

For investors who have already determined that EB-5 is appropriate, however, understanding the calendar can help avoid unnecessary additional costs.

This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration, legal, tax, investment, or securities advice or an offer to sell securities. Government fees and immigration requirements may change. Prospective investors should confirm current USCIS fees and filing requirements with qualified immigration counsel before filing.