The United States will more than double the fees for EB-5 investor visas starting 30 November, according to a CNBC TV18 report. The increase applies to the Immigrant Investor Programme, which US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) administers.

What is the EB-5 programme?

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program grants conditional permanent residence to foreign nationals who invest in US enterprises and create or preserve American jobs. Most applicants route their investment through regional centres that USCIS has designated for that purpose. Congress created the programme in 1990 and sets a statutory cap on the number of visas issued each fiscal year.

Who is affected by the fee change?

Two main groups will face higher charges:

• Individual investors submitting immigrant petitions, typically Forms I-526 or I-526E
• Regional centres seeking designation, amendment, or annual certification filings

The change also affects derivative beneficiaries, who are spouses and unmarried children included in a principal petition. Each filing type will see fees rise by more than 100 percent, based on the report. Exact new dollar amounts were not in the published headline; readers should check USCIS for the updated schedule.

Why does the change matter?

Fee levels directly affect the cost of pursuing an investor visa. A doubling of charges raises the upfront expense for each family member included in a petition and for the entities that operate pooled investment funds. Smaller investors may find the higher entry cost harder to absorb, while regional centres must rebuild the math behind their fund-raising projections.

Periodic fee adjustments are standard across US immigration benefit requests. USCIS last issued a comprehensive EB-5 fee update several years ago and has signalled further revisions to keep pace with operational costs.

What about pending applications?

Investors who filed before 30 November will generally pay the fee in effect on the date USCIS receives their petition, under standard receipt-date rules. Pending applications will not require a supplemental fee after the change takes effect, unless the applicant later files a new form or motion.

What should prospective applicants do next?

Anyone considering an EB-5 filing should:

• Check the USCIS fee page on uscis.gov for the new schedule
• File before 30 November if they want the current rate, subject to receipt-date rules
• Confirm whether the change affects Forms I-526, I-526E, I-829, or regional-centre filings separately
• Consult an immigration attorney for case-specific advice

USCIS typically publishes the final fee rule in the Federal Register and on its website. The agency's announcements page lists all current and upcoming fee changes. Until that notice is public, treat reported figures as preliminary.

Where to verify the change

The authoritative source for EB-5 fees is USCIS itself. Treat any third-party reporting, including the CNBC TV18 item, as a pointer to the official Federal Register notice and the USCIS fee schedule. Until that notice is public, exact new dollar amounts and effective-time details remain to be confirmed.

Applicants and regional centres can also track the Federal Register at federalregister.gov, which publishes every USCIS rule for public comment before it takes effect.

Timeline at a glance

• Reported: ahead of the 30 November effective date
• Effective date for new fees: 30 November
• Authority: US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
• Programme: EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme