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EB5 INVESTMENT FEE TO INCREASE IN SEPTEMBER 2026
The EB-5 visa program is facing a countdown toward major statutory deadlines, expected cost increases, and new legal changes. While the program is currently authorised through September 30, 2027, an earlier "grandfathering" protection deadline is set for September 30, 2026. This deadline guarantees that current petitions will keep being processed even if the program lapses later.
The clock is ticking for Indian investors looking to secure a U.S. Green Card through the EB-5 program. A major legal deadline is coming up on September 30, 2026. By law, the U.S. government must adjust investment amounts for inflation.
If you want to choose an Urban High Unemployment Area (TEA) project, you must act now to lock in the present minimum investment amount of USD 800,000.
Here is a quick summary of the upcoming changes and how to protect your investment.
THE UPCOMING 2026 PRICE INCREASES:
- Urban TEA Projects: The minimum investment is projected to rise from $800,000 to around $900,000 or $937,500.
- Standard Urban Projects: The cost for non-TEA projects is expected to jump from $1,050,000 to roughly $1.2 million.
- The Benefit: Filing your application before September 2026 will save you more than $100,000 in upfront investment.
⏳ WHY INDIAN INVESTORS MUST ACT NOW:
- Lock in the Lower investment: An Urban TEA is a city zone where the unemployment rate is 1.5 times higher than the U.S. average. Filing early guarantees you lock in the lower $800,000 entry investment.
- Beat the Indian Remittance Hurdles: The Reserve Bank of India caps individual outbound transfers at $250,000 per year under the LRS rules. Higher investment prices mean you will need to pool funds across more family members. It also means you will pay more upfront for India's heavy 20% Tax Collected at Source (TCS).
We will guide you in the process and coordinate with the respective banks to provide all the required approvals for smooth outgoing transfer.
- Avoid New Waiting list: Urban TEA projects get a special 10% reservation pool of visas. This pool is currently "Current" for India, meaning there is no backlog line.
- However, a massive rush of investors trying to beat the price hike could cause this pool to fill up and trigger a new waiting list.
SPECIAL BENEFIT FOR CURRENT U.S. RESIDENTS:
- Concurrent Filing: If you live in the U.S. on an H-1B, L-1, or F-1 visa, you can file your green card application at the exact same time as your EB-5 paperwork.
- Quick Freedom: This grants you an Employment authorisation to work in USA, and obtain the travel document in just a few months, freeing you from the strict limits of your employer visa.
HOW BILIMORIA & ASSOCIATE WILL PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION:
- All projects with TEA Letter: We lodge all our applications with projects that have the TEA letter which means project meets the high unemployment rules.
- Project with Form I-956F Approval: All our projects have formal approval from the U.S. government, which makes the application safer and faster.
- Prepare Your Source of Funds: We prepare a detailed source of fund summary which covers all required documents on the source of funds with documents such as tax returns, business records, and prepared the required gift deeds now. Proving that your funds are clean and legal is the most time-consuming part of the process.
- Submission by an Attorney: All documents are prepared and submitted by the appointed Attorney on behalf of your application and is lodged with United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS).
- DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2026: File your I-526 application early to save significant capital and submit your application in time to USCIS before the deadline.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
Q: What exactly happens on September 30, 2026?
A: This is the deadline for the five-year inflation adjustment required by law. The minimum investment amounts will permanently go up. It is also the deadline for grandfathering protections that lock in your application under current rules.
Q: If I file my EB-5 paperwork today, am I safe from the increase in investment amount?
A: Yes. As long as your petition is submitted and accepted by USCIS before the deadline, you lock in the $800,000 investment amount, even if the government raises prices while your case is being reviewed.
Q: Can I use multiple family members to send the $800,000 out of India?
A: Yes. Because India's LRS rules limit outbound transfers to $250,000 per person per year, most Indian investors use "gifted funds" from family members to pool the full amount together.
We will guide you in the process and coordinate with the respective banks to provide all the required approvals for smooth outgoing transfer.
Q: What is an Urban TEA project?
A: It is an investment project located in a city area where the unemployment rate is at least 150% of the U.S. national average. These projects allow you to invest $800,000 instead of $1,050,000.
Bilimoria & Associate can assist you in the preparation of your I-526 Immigration petition by Alien Entrepreneur by filing an applicant through EB5 Investor category. The I-526 petitions are prepared by respective appointed Immigration Attorneys and submitted, on behalf of EB5 Investor.
Bilimoria & Associate Would assist the applicant in the preparation of I-131 Travel document, I-485 - Adjustment of Status and I-765 - Employment authorisation.
Bilimoria & Associate liaise with the Member of the Oregon State Bar Association and Attorney in good standing, USA (OSB) and also liaise with members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and members of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), towards preparation of a successful application for EB-5 visa.
You can write to us to assess your eligibility at: neville@bilimoriaassociate.com (or) contact us +91 44 2822 7127 / 2823 9229 / 4350 8191 between Monday – Saturday, 10.30 am to 5.30 pm. You can also fix an appointment with our office to meet us in person to discuss your eligibility.