The EB-5 I-526E Filing Fee More Than Doubles on November 30, 2026

Investors weighing an EB-5 petition face a near-term decision. On November 30, 2026, the base government filing fee for Form I-526E more than doubles, from $3,675 to $7,850. With the Integrity Fund fee, the total at initial filing rises from $4,675 to $8,950. The Department of Homeland Security finalized the new schedule on September 30, 2026, and the change takes effect for every petition postmarked on or after November 30.

This post explains what is changing, who it affects, and the one detail that determines which fee applies.

What is hanging on November 30, 2026

The core change is to the I-526E base filing fee, the fee paid when a regional center investor files the initial petition.

• I-526E base filing fee: rises from $3,675 to $7,850 (the new figure includes a $75 technology fee)
• EB-5 Integrity Fund fee: rises from $1,000 to $1,100
• Total at initial I-526E filing: rises from $4,675 to $8,950

The difference at the initial filing stage is $4,275 per petition. The Form I-829 fee, paid later in the process to remove conditions on a green card, also increases.

These figures are government filing fees only. The EB-5 investment itself, immigration legal fees, and regional center administrative fees are separate and are not affected by this change.

Source: DHS/USCIS, Employment-Based Immigrant Visa, Fifth Preference (EB-5) Fee Rule, final rule, 91 FR 61940 (Sept. 30, 2026). federalregister.gov document 2026-20016

Who the I-526E fee increase affects

Two groups pay more once the new schedule applies.

Investors filing a first I-526E petition pay the higher initial total of $8,950, up from today's $4,675. Conditional residents who later file Form I-829 to remove conditions pay more at that stage as well.

The increase does not change the position of investors who have already filed. A petition already postmarked at the current rate is unaffected.

How the filing fee is determined: the postmark date

This is the most misunderstood part of the change, and the one that matters most for timing.

The date an investment is made does not determine the filing fee. The postmark date on a complete, filed petition does. A petition postmarked on or before November 29, 2026 pays the current fee. A petition postmarked November 30 or later pays the new fee.

In practice, this means filing at the current rate is realistic only for investors whose petition is already well advanced. A petition requires completed source-of-funds documentation, a selected project, and a prepared filing. Investors beginning the process now are very unlikely to file before the deadline, and that is expected. For them, the fee increase is one signal among several that the cost of EB-5 is rising.

How this fits the larger EB-5 cost picture

The fee increase is the first of two scheduled cost changes. The investment minimums themselves are set to adjust for inflation on January 1, 2027, with the current $800,000 rural and targeted-employment-area minimum and $1,050,000 standard minimum both expected to rise. USCIS has not yet published the new investment figures.

Taken together, these changes point in one direction. The overall cost of pursuing EB-5 is increasing, which makes the timing of a decision more consequential than it was a year ago.

What investors can do now

The right next step depends on how far along a petition is.

If a petition is nearly ready. Investors whose petitions are well advanced, with source-of-funds documentation complete and a project selected, can still file at the current fee. Because November 29 falls on a Sunday and holiday shipping adds uncertainty, the working cutoff is earlier than the calendar suggests. The CanAm team can help assess quickly whether filing before November 30 is realistic.

For everyone else, January 1 is the more important date. Most investors will not file by November 30, and that is expected. The larger change comes on January 1, 2027, when the EB-5 investment minimums themselves rise with inflation. Beginning the process now is how to move ahead of both increases.

CanAm's current offering, Nexstream, is a fiber and fixed-wireless broadband project serving unserved and underserved communities in Texas, offered under the EB-5 rural set-aside at an $800,000 minimum investment. It is open to investors ready to begin before the January increase.

Schedule a call with the CanAm team →

Frequently asked questions

How much is the I-526E filing fee increasing?

The I-526E base filing fee rises from $3,675 to $7,850 on November 30, 2026, a figure that now includes a $75 technology fee. With the EB-5 Integrity Fund fee rising from $1,000 to $1,100, the total at initial filing increases from $4,675 to $8,950.

When does the EB-5 filing fee increase take effect?

November 30, 2026. The Department of Homeland Security finalized the schedule on September 30, 2026. Every petition postmarked on or after November 30 pays the new fees.

Does the date of the investment determine the filing fee?

No. The fee is determined by the postmark date on a complete, filed petition. A petition postmarked on or before November 29, 2026 pays the current fee, whenever the investment itself was made.

How much can an investor save by filing before November 30?

$4,275 at the initial filing stage, the difference between the current $4,675 total and the new $8,950 total.

Are other EB-5 fees changing as well?

Yes. The Form I-829 fee, paid later to remove conditions on a green card, rises from $3,750 to $5,000. The new $75 technology fee and the higher Integrity Fund fee are also part of the November 30 schedule.

Is the EB-5 investment amount also increasing?

Separately, yes. The EB-5 investment minimums are set to adjust for inflation on January 1, 2027. USCIS has not yet published the new figures. The current minimums are $800,000 for rural and targeted-employment-area projects and $1,050,000 for standard projects.

Ready to Explore EB-5 Before Costs Rise?

Founded in 1987, CanAm Enterprises brings decades of experience in investment-linked immigration and over 20 years in the EB-5 program. CanAm has raised more than $4.1 billion from over 8,600 investors representing more than 90 countries, and has returned more than $2.5 billion in EB-5 capital to investors. CanAm operates 11 regional centers across more than 30 states and is affiliated with CanAm Investor Services, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer.

Contact the CanAm team → (212) 668-0690 | [email protected] | www.canamenterprises.com | 48 Wall Street, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10005