The headline number for an EB-5 visa is the investment itself, either $800,000 or $1,050,000. But the investment is only part of what you commit. On top of the capital, there are government filing fees, a project administrative fee, and immigration attorney fees, plus a handful of smaller costs. Understanding the full picture up front is the difference between a realistic budget and an unpleasant surprise.
This page breaks down every component so you can see exactly what an EB-5 visa costs before you commit anything. It is also worth drawing one important distinction at the outset: the investment capital is not a fee. It is money placed into a project that, in a well-structured offering, is intended to be returned to you after your immigration conditions are met. The fees, by contrast, are true costs that are not recoverable.
The largest figure by far is the qualifying investment, and it depends on where the project is located:
Most investors pursue TEA projects, both because the capital requirement is lower and because TEA categories carry reserved visas and, for rural projects, priority processing. These amounts are locked in for investors who file on or before the September 30, 2026 grandfathering deadline, after which the minimums are expected to rise with inflation.
Unlike the fees described below, this capital is an at-risk investment rather than a sunk cost. Well-structured projects are built with a defined exit strategy so that investors are repaid, typically within a three-to-seven-year window, though repayment always depends on the project’s performance and can never be guaranteed under EB-5 rules.
Here is how the total outlay comes together for a typical regional center investment in a TEA project:
| Cost component | Typical amount | Recoverable? |
|---|---|---|
| EB-5 investment capital | $800,000 (TEA) / $1,050,000 (non-TEA) | Yes, subject to project performance |
| Regional center / project administrative fee | ~$50,000 to $80,000 | No |
| Immigration attorney fees | ~$25,000 to $35,000 | No |
| USCIS government filing fees | ~$10,000 to $22,000 depending on path and family size | No |
| Other (translations, medical exams, transfers) | Varies | No |
These are the fees paid directly to the U.S. government at each stage of the process. The amounts below reflect the schedule in effect as of mid-2026:
| Form | Purpose | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-526E | Immigrant petition by regional center investor | $3,675 + $1,000 Integrity Fund fee |
| Form I-485 | Adjustment of status (for applicants inside the U.S.) | $1,440 per applicant |
| Biometrics | Fingerprinting and background check | $85 per applicant |
| Form DS-260 | Immigrant visa application (for applicants outside the U.S.) | ~$325 per applicant |
| Form I-829 | Petition to remove conditions on residency | $3,750 per family |
A few things to keep in mind about these figures:
Regional center projects charge a one-time administrative fee to cover the cost of structuring, sponsoring, and administering the offering. This fee commonly falls in the $50,000 to $80,000 range, though it varies by project. It is separate from your investment capital and is not returned to you.
Because the administrative fee is part of what must be documented in your source-of-funds record, plan for it alongside the core investment rather than treating it as an afterthought.
An experienced EB-5 immigration attorney is effectively required, given the complexity of the petitions and the exacting source-of-funds standard. Attorney fees for the full process typically run $25,000 to $35,000, usually paid in stages and negotiated directly with the attorney. That work generally covers:
Smaller costs round out the total:
To make the numbers concrete, here is an illustrative all-in estimate for a family of four investing in a rural TEA project and adjusting status from inside the U.S., using the mid-2026 fee schedule:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Investment capital | $800,000 |
| Project administrative fee | $70,000 |
| Attorney fees | $30,000 |
| USCIS fees (I-526E, four I-485s, biometrics, I-829) | ~$16,000 |
| Other (medical, translations) | ~$3,000 |
| Total outlay | ~$919,000 |
| Of which is recoverable investment capital | $800,000 |
| Non-recoverable cost | ~$119,000 |
Your actual figures will differ based on family size, filing path, project, and the fee schedule in effect when you file. This is a planning estimate, not a quote.
Choosing a TEA project lowers the required capital by $250,000, from $1,050,000 to $800,000. For rural TEA projects specifically, the savings come with two more advantages that matter to many investors:
For most investors, a rural TEA project is the most cost-efficient and time-efficient route, which is why it is where the majority of current EB-5 activity is concentrated.
The investment capital is designed to be returned, but it is not guaranteed. EB-5 rules require your capital to stay “at risk,” which is precisely why no project can promise repayment. What a well-structured project can do is define a clear exit strategy and a realistic repayment timeline, typically three to seven years, and back it with disciplined underwriting.
This is where sponsor selection directly affects your financial outcome. The strength of the project’s capital structure, the developer’s track record, and the quality of the underwriting all shape the likelihood that your capital comes back to you on schedule. Reviewing these factors carefully is the single most important piece of financial due diligence in an EB-5 investment.
FlexPath takes an investment-first view of EB-5, which means the cost conversation is also a capital-preservation conversation. As a sponsor and developer of institutional-quality EB-5 projects, FlexPath underwrites its offerings with the goal of protecting investor capital while satisfying the program’s at-risk and job-creation requirements, so that the largest number on your cost sheet, the investment itself, is positioned to come back to you.
Before you commit, FlexPath can give you a full, itemized picture of what an investment in a specific project would cost, how the capital is structured, and what the exit strategy looks like.
