Questions & Answers

How much does it cost to immigrate through EB-5?

If I make the $500,000 investment, roughly how much can I expect to pay for EB-5 immigration in total? I also would like to know specifically what the mandatory fees are at each stage of the application, and what other costs I should expect throughout the whole process?

Answers

• Steffanie J Lewis

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on April 15, 2015

  At the I-526 stage, there is the $500,000 investment fund, $20,000 to $50,000 administrative fee, $1,500 USCIS filing fee for the I-526 petition and attorney fee if you obtain a lawyer to prepare the filing. If you are going through consular processing, there is the immigrant visa fee, medical exam fee and attorney fee if you acquire a lawyer. If you are going to adjust your status in the US, there is the $1,070 USCIS filing fee for the I-485 application, medical exam fee and attorney fee if applicable. At the remove condition stage, there is the $3,835 USCIS filing fee for the I-829 petition and attorney fee if applicable. All filing fees are from the current USCIS website, subject to change by the USCIS and the immigrant visa fees vary from country to country.

• Fredrick W Voigtmann

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on April 3, 2015

  Costs such as administrative/syndication fees vary from EB-5 program to program and legal fees from immigration attorney to immigration attorney. The USCIS filing fee for an I-526 petition is $1,500. The U.S. State Department charges a per person fee of about $400 for immigrant visa processing. If the person is in the United States and will adjust status instead of immigrant visa processing, the I-485 filing fee is $1070 per person. Finally, the USCIS I-829 petition filing fee currently is $3,750 per case and then $85 per applicant for biometrics (fingerprint and photo).

• Robert Lee

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 27, 2015

  You have to first consider the type of EB-5 investment you want to make. There are generally two types. Direct, where you invest into your own business, or regional center, where you subscribe into projects. Regional center projects are cheaper in attorney fees, but have an administration fee on the investment, while direct investments cost more in attorney fees for the corporate setup and creation. The filing fees are available on the USCIS website. But the pricing of the process depends on each law firm, their level of experience, and what other services are provided that are not attorney work. So it is hard to get consistent prices. Just remember expensive does not mean the best and cheapest does not matter if you do not get an approval.

• J Bruce Weinman

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  That really depends on many factors. Are you going to make a direct investment and start your own business? Or are you going to invest in a regional center? Where are you? Are you in the United States or in your home country? Do you intend to visit a regional center''s office here in the United States? Are you using a migration agent? Some people spend around $40,000. Others spend upwards of six figures. I know of at least one firm that specializes in doing due diligence for EB-5 regional center projects. Some people have the investment evaluated by their financial or tax advisers. Sit down with an experienced immigration attorney to discuss your goals and they will be able to give you a pretty good estimate.

• Jinhee Wilde

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  In addition to the investment amount of $500,000 if the business/project is located in a Targeted Employment Area, the regional center normally has a $50,000 or more administration/syndication fee. You will also expect to pay a legal fee of $15,000 - $25,000 to get your petition and supporting documents prepared and filed. There is a $1,500 filing fee for the I-526 and the I-485 filing fee of $1,070 per person if you are adjusting, or $345 per person if you are doing the IV processing at the Consulate. After you have been a conditional resident for nearly two years, you will file the I-829 Removal of Condition application and with that you will incur a $3,750 filing fee to USCIS and $5,000 - $8,000 in legal fees.

• John J Downey

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  It really depends on the investment vehicle that you choose. Many regional centers add a $50,000 administrative fee. You may wish to retain your own counsel which will be extra. Sometimes the filing fees are included, other times that are separate.

• Robert V Cornish Jr

  Securities Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  I would budget for at least $25,000 - $50,000 to hire a securities attorney (or consulting firm) and immigration attorney to handle your paperwork and assist on due diligence.

• Kyle Barella

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  Great question! Along with the cost of the investment ($500,000), you can expect to pay additional costs/expenses including, attorney fees (12k-20k), project administration fee (15k-50k), USCIS filing fee ($1,500) and any translation fees for documents not in English.

• Anthony Korda

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  In addition to your EB-5 investment, you can expect to pay administrative fees of up to 10 percent for a regional center project*. In addition there are filing fees ($1500 for the I-526) and visa fees of $345 per applicant plus immigrant fees of $165 per applicant if you apply for your visa through Consular processing. If you adjust status in the United States, then, instead of visa fees, you will pay filing fees of $1,070 per applicant ($635 if under 14 applying with parents). In each case there will be medical fees (usually $200-250 per person). (*) If you opt for a direct EB-5 there may be additional costs, such as for the preparation of the business plan, although there may (in some cases) not be any administrative fees. When you file for Removal of Conditions, in addition to legal fees there will be a filing fee (currently $3,750) plus biometric fees of $85 per applicant. Legal fees in both cases can vary considerably, as does experience and so it is wise to shop around before choosing your attorney.

• Salvatore Picataggio

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  Many regional centers also charge an administration fee for marketing costs, broker-dealer fees, and other administrative items (which should all be disclosed!) in an amount of $30,000 to $50,000 (but sometimes more, and sometimes not at all - it depends). Immigration counsel can cost about $15,000 for preparing and filing the I-526 petition (including performing immigration due diligence on the project and authentication of source of investment funds). You may also want to retain an investment adviser to provide advice and due diligence on the investment itself. All in all, you can expect an extra $50,000 to almost $100,000 in administrative and professional fees and costs.

• Yevgeny Samokhleb

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  Your total cost will probably be between to $550,000 and $600,000. If you are investing in a third party project, there is usually an administrative or management fee charged by the project or regional center, averaging around $50,000. The I-526 petition filing fee is $1,500, and the I-829 petition filing fee is $3,835 + $85 for each of your family members. If you and/or your family members will be filing for adjustment of status in the United States, the filing fee is $1,070 per person. Alternatively, if you will be obtaining your immigrant visa via consular processing abroad, the visa fee is $345 per person with a $165 fee for permanent resident card processing upon arrival. Additionally, upon immigrating or adjusting your status, you will need a medical exam, the cost of which varies place by place. Attorney fees vary as well, but average at around $15,000 - $20,000 for the entire process.

• Lynne Feldman

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  Most regional centers have an administrative fee ranging from $25,000 to $50,000; filing fee is $1500 for the first stage and $3750 to remove conditions. Attorney fees vary from about $15,000 to $25,000 depending on the services rendered. These would be more if you are filing through your own project and need a business plan and other business documents.

• Vaughan de Kirby

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  Generally regional center investment involves an investment of $500,000 plus an administration fee of $50,000. The USCIS filing fee is $1500 and you will negotiate your attorney fee. Attorney fees vary from $15,000 to $25,000 for the I-526 and $5000 for the I-829. Great care should be taken in the selection of a project and attorney.

• Stephen Berman

  Immigration Attorney

  Answered on March 26, 2015

  About $25,000 in processing fees.