I-526 Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor
The EB-5 petition for an investor who puts money into their own business rather than through a regional center. The investor must show a qualifying investment - $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area - that is at risk and that will create ten full-time jobs.
- Fee
- $3,675
- Fee waiver
- Not available
- Who files
- The individual investor.
- Where to file
- By mail to the USCIS Immigrant Investor Program Office.
- Processing time
- 26.3 months (FY 2026 national median through June 30, 2026); legacy I-526 cases run 94.3 months
Usually filed with
Part of these processes
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- Split from the old I-526 by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022. Approval leads to conditional residence for two years, then Form I-829 to remove the conditions.
Official page. https://www.uscis.gov/i-526. Download the form there, never from a third-party site; check the edition date and fee before filing.