EB-5 Investment Cost Calculator

What Are EB-5 Investment Costs?

The true cost of obtaining a U.S. Green Card through the EB-5 program extends beyond the statutory minimum investment capital. A complete budget must account for government filing fees, regional center administration overhead, immigration legal counsel, and the complex process of documenting your lawful source of funds.

Minimum Investment Amounts

Official Data

The EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA) restructured the minimum investment tiers. Note that these are subject to a mandatory CPI-U inflation adjustment that takes effect on January 1, 2027.
Source: RIA Section 102(a)(3), 8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(5)(C)

USCIS Filing Fees

Official Data

These are mandatory government fees paid directly to USCIS during the application process.
Source: USCIS Fee Schedule (Effective April 1, 2024)

Regional Center Admin Fees

Derived

Regional Centers typically charge an administrative fee to cover project structuring, legal compliance, and ongoing SEC/USCIS reporting. This generally ranges from $20,000 to $80,000.
Regional center administrative fees have a wide range. Published sticker prices typically run $60,000–$80,000, but investors who work directly with regional centers can often negotiate fees closer to $20,000. Our default uses the lower negotiated rate.

Attorney & Legal Fees

Derived

Retaining qualified immigration counsel is required. Their fees cover compiling the I-526E petition, representing you to USCIS, and managing the overall case execution. This typically ranges from $15,000 to $35,000.

Additional Soft Costs

Derived

• Source of Funds Tracing & Documentation: $5,000 – $15,000
• Document Translation Services: $2,000 – $5,000
• Medical Examinations: $200 – $500 per person
• Consular Processing Travel & Travel: $3,000 – $10,000 (if adjusting from abroad)

Cost Comparison by Investment Category

Rural TEA

Rural projects enjoy the $800,000 lower investment threshold and draw from the 20% reserved visa pool, which currently has no visa backlog for any country. Additionally, rural petitions receive expedited processing from USCIS. Total estimated costs approach $865,000.

High Unemployment TEA

Projects located in urban areas suffering from severe unemployment qualify for the $800,000 threshold and a 10% reserved visa pool. While they do not receive statutory expedited processing, total estimated costs are typically around $865,000.

Unreserved

Standard investments that do not meet TEA criteria require the full $1,050,000 minimum investment. These investors draw from the Unreserved visa pool, which is heavily backlogged for Indian and Chinese nationals according to the Visa Bulletin.

Direct Investment

In a Direct Investment, the applicant establishes and runs their own business rather than relying on a Regional Center. While this avoids paying a $50,000+ Regional Center administrative fee to a third party, the investor must satisfy the $1,050,000 non-TEA threshold (unless locating their own business in a TEA) and personally manage the direct creation of 10 W-2 jobs.

CPI-U Investment Amount Adjustment

Under the RIA, USCIS is statutorily required to adjust the minimum EB-5 investment amounts upward to match cumulative inflation (CPI-U). The next scheduled adjustment will take effect on January 1, 2027.

Investors must file before the September 30, 2026 deadline to secure the current $800,000 TEA and $1.05M Non-TEA minimums. After inflation is calculated, the new estimated minimums will take effect:

• TEA Projects: Expected to increase from $800,000 to approximately $900,000.
• Non-TEA Projects: Expected to increase from $1,050,000 to approximately $1,150,000.

Example Cost Scenarios

When Do You Pay? Cost Timeline