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EB-5 Green Card route gets more expensive: Expert explains what investors could lose by waiting until November 30
EB-5 investors must be aware of the November 30, 2026 fee hike, which increases Form I-526E fees to $7,850.
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EB-5 investors planning to seek a Green Card through the immigrant investor program now have a new date to factor into their calculations. USCIS is set to introduce sharply higher EB-5 filing fees from November 30, creating a window for those who are ready to file to do so under the existing fee structure.
Sherman Baldwin, CEO of LCR Capital Partners, said the fee change gives families considering EB-5 another concrete factor to weigh when deciding when to file. “The new final EB-5 fee rule, published on September 30, 2026, is a clear signal that the cost of a Green Card by Investment through the EB-5 visa program is rising,” Baldwin told Hindustan Times.
His assessment is that timing could make a meaningful difference for investors who have already completed their preparations. “Investors who file before November 30 preserve today's lower USCIS fees,” he said.
Baldwin pointed out that the primary EB-5 petition fee alone will more than double under the new rule.
What changes from November 30?
The final rule published by the US Department of Homeland Security in the Federal Register takes effect on November 30, 2026. Applications, petitions and requests postmarked on or after that date will have to carry the new fees.
For investors filing through a regional center, the initial Form I-526E fee will rise from $3,675 to $7,850, an increase of $4,175. The standalone Form I-526 fee will go from $3,675 to $7,615. A $75 technology fee is included in the initial I-526 and I-526E filing fees.
The changes do not stop there. The Form I-829 fee, used to remove conditions on permanent residence, will increase from $3,750 to $5,000. The EB-5 Integrity Fund fee attached to an initial I-526E filing will also rise from $1,000 to $1,100.
USCIS says the new structure is intended to bring EB-5 fee revenue closer to the cost of administering the program. The final rule estimates annual EB-5 program-specific costs at about $105 million, compared with around $56.6 million in projected revenue under the current fee structure.
Across the nine existing EB-5 forms, DHS estimates the final rule will increase fees by about 70.7%, or an average of roughly $2,945.90 per form. The changes are expected to affect about 16,600 EB-5 program filings each year.
What investors could lose by waiting
The November 30 date is not an end date for the EB-5 program. It is the date on which the higher fee schedule begins to apply.
For an investor who is already ready to file, however, the difference can be substantial. Under the new schedule, a regional-center investor filing Form I-526E would pay $4,175 more in the initial petition fee alone.
Baldwin also highlighted a separate date for investors considering the $800,000 minimum investment route. “And those who file before January 1, 2027 lock in the $800,000 minimum investment before it is adjusted for inflation, which we estimate will rise to approximately $940,000,” he said. (January 1 claim is an estimate from LCR Capital Partners and is separate from the USCIS fee rule taking effect on November 30.)
For families weighing EB-5, the November 30 date is therefore a significant cost consideration, particularly for those who have already completed their documentation and are ready to file. But the higher fee alone does not determine whether an investor should proceed. Eligibility, source of funds, project due diligence and the overall Green Card strategy remain central to the decision.
