EB-5 Visa Cost in 2026: Minimum Investment, Fees, and Total Budget

The minimum investment: $800,000 or $1,050,000

Under the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA), the minimum qualifying investment is $800,000 if the project is in a Targeted Employment Area — a rural area or a high-unemployment area — or in an infrastructure project. Everywhere else the minimum is $1,050,000. In practice, the vast majority of regional center offerings are structured as TEA projects at the $800,000 level. The investment must be 'at risk' and must create 10 full-time US jobs per investor.

Fees on top of the investment

Plan for these 2026 costs beyond the investment itself: USCIS I-526E petition fee approximately $11,160 plus a mandatory $1,000 EB-5 Integrity Fund fee; regional center administrative/subscription fee typically $50,000–$80,000 (this is how regional centers earn money and it is generally not refundable); EB-5 immigration attorney fees of $15,000–$25,000 covering the I-526E, consular processing or adjustment, and the later I-829 petition to remove conditions (I-829 fee ≈ $9,525); plus source-of-funds documentation costs — translations, accountant letters, sometimes foreign tax advice — often $2,000–$10,000.

Realistic all-in budget: about $865,000–$925,000 for an $800,000 TEA regional center investment, with the investment capital potentially returned after the sustainment period if the project performs.

Can you take a loan for an EB-5 visa?

Yes — loan proceeds are acceptable EB-5 capital if the loan is secured by your own personal assets (not by the EB-5 project itself) and you can document the lender's source of funds where required. Unsecured loans from family are also acceptable when properly papered as the investor's own indebtedness. Gifted funds work too, provided the giver documents their lawful source. Source-of-funds documentation is the single most common reason for I-526E delays, so this is where experienced EB-5 counsel earns their fee.

Direct EB-5 vs regional center: cost differences

A direct EB-5 investment (you run your own job-creating business) avoids the $50,000–$80,000 regional center fee but requires you to genuinely operate a company that directly employs 10 W-2 workers — payroll, compliance, and real management. Regional center investments count indirect jobs from economic modeling, are passive, and dominate the market (over 90% of investors). For most families seeking a green card rather than a business, the regional center route's extra fee buys substantially lower job-creation risk.

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