Trump Administration To Hike EB-5 Fees: What It Means For Indian Families Seeking Green Cards

The US is sharply raising fees for its EB-5 immigrant investor programme, increasing the cost for foreign investors seeking permanent residency in the country. The new fees will take effect from November 30, adding to the financial burden on a programme that has seen a sharp rise in interest from Indian applicants.

The EB-5 programme allows foreign investors and their immediate families to seek a US Green Card by investing in a qualifying commercial enterprise and creating at least 10 full-time jobs for American workers.

For Indian families, the fee hike comes as demand for EB-5 has grown amid lengthy waits in other employment-based immigration categories. Experts say that for many Indians already living in the US on H-1B or F-1 visas, the attraction of EB-5 is less about the investment itself and more about securing a pathway to permanent residency.

What Are The New EB-5 Fees?

The biggest increase will affect Form I-526, used by standalone EB-5 investors. Its filing fee will more than double, rising from $3,675 to $7,615.

For investors applying through an approved regional centre, the initial Form I-526E fee will increase from $3,675 to $7,850. Both initial petitions will also carry a $75 technology fee.

The fee for Form I-829, used by investors seeking to remove conditions on their permanent resident status, will rise from $3,750 to $5,000.

Fees for regional centres will also increase sharply. The cost of Form I-956, used to seek regional-centre designation, will rise from $17,795 to $44,115, while Form I-956F will increase from $17,795 to $42,675.

The annual Form I-956G fee will instead fall from $3,035 to $2,165. A new Form I-527 for certain investors seeking to amend older I-526 petitions will cost $10,330.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the agency is largely funded through fees rather than taxes. The money supports application reviews, background checks, eligibility verification, fraud detection and programme operations.

Why Indians Are Watching EB-5

The fee hike comes as EB-5 has become increasingly relevant for Indian nationals facing long waits in other employment-based immigration categories.

According to IIUSA data cited by The American Bazaar, EB-5 filings from India rose from about 75 in fiscal year 2022 to nearly 1,900 in fiscal year 2025 — roughly a 25-fold increase in three years.

Chaitrali Karve, Senior Director at LCR Capital Partners, told The American Bazaar that most new EB-5 investors she encounters are H-1B or F-1 visa holders, predominantly from India.

“Most of the families I talk to are not fixated on the dollar figure. They are H-1B or F-1 visa holders, mostly from India, and for them the real pain point is time, not price,” Karve told the publication.

She said Indian nationals pursuing permanent residency through standard employment-based categories face long waits because of per-country backlogs.

“What keeps them up at night is the calendar: will their student visa run out, will their H-1B renewal come through, will their child age out of eligibility,” Karve said.

How Much Do Indians Need To Invest?

The fee increase does not change the current EB-5 investment requirement.

Investors must put $1.05 million into a qualifying commercial enterprise, or $800,000 if the investment is in a Targeted Employment Area (TEA), which includes qualifying rural or high-unemployment areas and certain infrastructure projects.

The investment must also create at least 10 full-time jobs for qualifying US workers.

An approved investor can seek Green Cards for themselves, their spouse and qualifying children.

Karve told The American Bazaar that most regional-centre projects she works with qualify as TEA investments, meaning the $800,000 threshold is the figure most of their clients consider.

What Is The September 30 Deadline?

For Indians considering EB-5 this year, another date is significant: September 30, 2026.

According to Karve, investors who file their I-526E petition by that date can benefit from grandfathering provisions under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act.

“Investors who file their EB-5 application (I-526E petition) on or before that date lock in the current EB-5 framework,” Karve told The American Bazaar, referring to the investment amount, source-of-funds requirements and investment structure applicable when they file.

The September 30 deadline is separate from the USCIS fee increase coming into effect on November 30.

For Indian applicants, the immediate impact is clear: entering the EB-5 programme will become substantially more expensive from November 30. But for many H-1B and F-1 holders, the bigger consideration may be the time involved in securing permanent residency through other immigration routes.