New York · est. 2013Saturday, September 5, 2026
Inside Immigration

Plain-language guides to US immigration, asylum and USCIS procedure.

Forms · Employment

EB-5 investor green card

EB-5 gives permanent residence to someone who invests $1,050,000, or $800,000 in a targeted employment area, in a U.S. business that creates ten full-time jobs. The investor can go it alone with Form I-526 or invest through a regional center with Form I-526E. Residence is conditional for two years and the conditions are removed on Form I-829.

Typical time: 10.8 months for a regional center petition and 26.3 months for a standalone petition in FY 2026, then a Visa Bulletin wait for some countries, then two years of conditional residence.Fees: $800,000 or $1,050,000 of investment capital, plus $3,675 for the petition, $1,000 for the Integrity Fund on regional center cases, $1,390 to $1,440 for adjustment, and $3,750 to remove conditions.

Who it is for. Individual investors and their spouses and unmarried children under 21.

The forms, in order

6 forms
I-526I-526EI-956FI-485DS-260I-829
  1. 1

    Choose a standalone investment or a regional center project

    Who
    The investor
    When
    Before investing
    Fee
    $0

    Regional center investors can count indirect job creation; standalone investors cannot.

  2. 2

    Make the investment and document the lawful source of funds

    Who
    The investor
    When
    The capital must be at risk before or at the time of filing
    Fee
    $800,000 or $1,050,000 depending on the location of the project

    Source of funds documentation is where most EB-5 cases are won or lost.

  3. 3

    File Form I-526 or Form I-526E

    I-526I-526EI-956F

    Who
    The investor
    When
    26.3 months for standalone and 10.8 months for regional center petitions in FY 2026
    Fee
    $3,675, plus a separate $1,000 EB-5 Integrity Fund fee on an initial I-526E

    The regional center must already have an approved I-956F for the project.

  4. 4

    Adjust status or consular process once a visa number is available

    I-485DS-260

    Who
    The investor and family
    When
    Reserved visas for rural, high-unemployment and infrastructure projects have generally stayed current
    Fee
    $1,440 or $1,390 for adjustment, or $345 per person for a consular immigrant visa
  5. 5

    File Form I-829 to remove the conditions

    I-829

    Who
    The investor
    When
    In the 90 days before the two-year conditional card expires
    Fee
    $3,750

    10.8 months national median in FY 2026, much improved from 49.4 months in FY 2023.

Where it goes wrong

  • The capital must genuinely be at risk; guaranteed-return structures do not qualify.
  • Source of funds evidence has to trace the money from its origin, which is difficult for investors from countries with weak documentation.
  • Legacy I-526 cases filed before the 2022 Act are running at a 94.3-month median.
  • Regional center failures leave investors with neither a green card nor their money.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

  • The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 split the petition into I-526 and I-526E and created the Integrity Fund fee and regional center compliance forms.
  • The reserved visa categories for rural and high-unemployment projects have remained current, which is why regional center petitions now move faster.
  • The Gold Card programme on Form I-140G, at $15,000 a person, was created by Executive Order 14351 in September 2025 and is separate from EB-5.

Related processes

Sources: uscis.gov · uscis.gov · uscis.gov · egov.uscis.gov · uscis.gov