Cost
What an EB-5 case costs, line by line
A regional center case costs the investment plus roughly $75,000 to $155,000, of which the government takes under $10,000. Form I-526E is $3,675 and Form I-829 is $3,750. Almost all the rest is the sponsor and the lawyer, and a direct investment skips the two largest items.
USCIS fees read from Form G-1055, edition 05/29/26, and the State Department visa fee from 22 CFR 22.1, on . They rest on a court order rather than a settled rule, so check the date above before relying on a number. Why the fees moved
Work out your own total
The three kinds of money are kept apart on purpose. The investment is yours and stays at risk in the project. The government fees are exact. Everything else is a price somebody sets, and it is where the range comes from.
Total for 3 people
$885,165 to $965,165
The spread is not the government fees, which are exact. It is the sponsor and the lawyer.
The upper figure stacks the top of every estimate at once, which is rare. Most cases land nearer the lower end, and independent project diligence is the item people skip.
Investment
$800,000
This is not a fee. It is your money, at risk in the project, and it has to reach the enterprise in full.
Government fees
$10,165
- Form I-526E$3,675Filed once for the whole family.
- EB-5 Integrity Fund$1,000Set by Congress, not by USCIS. Rides on an initial Form I-526E only.
- DS-260 x 3$1,035$345 each. Per person, billed by the National Visa Center with Form DS-260.
- Immigrant Fee x 3$705$235 each. Per person immigrating through a consulate rather than adjusting status.
- Form I-829$3,750Two years later, to remove the conditions. One petition for the family.
Everything else
$75,000 to $155,000
Market prices, not published figures. Ask for each one in writing before you commit.
- Regional center administrative fee$50,000 to $80,000Charged by the sponsor on top of the investment, and non refundable in most offerings once the petition is filed. A direct investment has no equivalent.
- Immigration counsel$15,000 to $30,000Higher when the source of funds story runs through several people or several countries.
- Source of funds report and certified translations$5,000 to $20,000A third party report from an accounting firm is the larger part of this.
- Independent project diligence$5,000 to $25,000Your own counsel reading the offering rather than the sponsor's. Almost nobody pays for it and almost everybody should.
Every government fee on the EB-5 path
The full schedule, including the charges an investor never pays because they fall on the regional center. A filing that tenders the wrong amount is rejected rather than receipted, which costs the filing date.
Petition stage, paid by the investor
| Form | Fee | Online | When this is the right amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-526EImmigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor | $3,675 | n/a | Regional center route. No online filing. |
| I-526Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor | $3,675 | n/a | Direct investment route. No online filing. |
| Integrity FundEB-5 Integrity Fund petition fee | $1,000 | n/a | Initial Form I-526E only. Not on an amendment, never on Form I-526. |
Green card inside the United States, per person
| Form | Fee | Online | When this is the right amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-485Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status | $1,440 | n/a | Per person, unless the reduced rate below applies. Paper only on this path. |
| I-485 (child under 14)Adjustment of status, reduced rate | $950 | n/a | Under 14 and filing at the same time as a parent's Form I-485. Filing alone costs the full amount. Paper only, like every EB-5 Form I-485. |
| I-765Application for Employment Authorization | $520 | $470 | The general rate. An EB-5 family filing concurrently normally pays the reduced rate below instead. |
| I-765 (with a pending I-485)Employment authorization, reduced rate | $260 | $260 | Where the Form I-485 carried a fee paid on or after 1 April 2024 and is still pending. Same price on paper or online. |
| I-131Application for Travel Document, advance parole | $630 | n/a | Per person, alongside a pending Form I-485. Paper only on this path. |
Green card at a consulate, per person
| Form | Fee | Online | When this is the right amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| DS-260Immigrant visa application processing fee, Department of State | $345 | n/a | Per person, billed by the National Visa Center with Form DS-260. |
| Immigrant FeeUSCIS Immigrant Fee | $235 | n/a | Per person immigrating through a consulate rather than adjusting status. |
Removing conditions, two years later
| Form | Fee | Online | When this is the right amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-829Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions | $3,750 | n/a | One petition covers the investor and the family included on it. |
Paid by the regional center, not the investor
| Form | Fee | Online | When this is the right amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-956Application for Regional Center Designation | $17,795 | n/a | Always. |
| I-956FApplication for Approval of an Investment in a Commercial Enterprise | $17,795 | n/a | Filing it, not approving it, is what lets an investor file Form I-526E. |
| I-956GRegional Center Annual Statement | $3,035 | n/a | Always. |
| Integrity Fund (annual)EB-5 Integrity Fund annual fee | $20,000 | n/a | Per regional center each 1 October. $10,000 where it had 20 or fewer investors in the preceding fiscal year. |
Biometrics is no longer a separate charge on any of these; the 2024 rule folded it into the form fees. Source: USCIS Form G-1055.
The costs nobody publishes
These are market ranges rather than official figures, and they dwarf the government fees. None of them can come out of the investment, because the full $800,000 or $1,050,000 has to reach the enterprise and stay at risk there.
- Regional center administrative fee$50,000 to $80,000Charged by the sponsor on top of the investment, and non refundable in most offerings once the petition is filed. A direct investment has no equivalent.
- Immigration counsel$15,000 to $30,000Higher when the source of funds story runs through several people or several countries.
- Source of funds report and certified translations$5,000 to $20,000A third party report from an accounting firm is the larger part of this.
- Independent project diligence$5,000 to $25,000Your own counsel reading the offering rather than the sponsor's. Almost nobody pays for it and almost everybody should.
What each of these actually buys, and how to test the number you are quoted
What to do next
- Establish whether your project is in a targeted employment area before budgeting anything, because it is the difference between $800,000 and $1,050,000. How the thresholds work
- Ask the sponsor for the administrative fee in writing, and ask what share of it goes to an agent. Ask counsel for a fixed quote rather than an hourly estimate.
- Decide early whether you will adjust status or use a consulate, because it changes both the cost and the paperwork. Concurrent filing and consular processing
Frequently asked questions
What is the filing fee for Form I-526E?
$3,675, plus a separate $1,000 EB-5 Integrity Fund charge on an initial filing. Read it from Form G-1055 on the day you file rather than from the regulation, which was never updated after a court stayed the 2024 fee rule.
Do I pay USCIS fees for my spouse and children as well?
One petition covers the family, but the green card stage is per person. Adjusting status inside the United States means a Form I-485 each. A consulate means a $345 State Department visa fee and the $235 USCIS Immigrant Fee each instead.
Which EB-5 costs are government fees and which are not?
USCIS fees are fixed and knowable to the dollar. The regional center administrative fee, immigration counsel, the source of funds report and project diligence are market prices that vary by tens of thousands. Only the first group is published anywhere.
Does filing online make EB-5 cheaper?
No. USCIS does discount some online filings by $50, but it accepts an online Form I-485 only behind a Form I-130 or a Form I-140, so an EB-5 adjustment goes on paper. The EB-5 petitions have no online option at all.