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ESSA · EB-5 FIELD GUIDE

What costs sit on top of the $800,000 investment for an Essa couple using a regional center?

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THE DIRECT ANSWER

The regional center's administrative fee, the Form I-526E filing fee and the EB-5 Integrity Fund fee, immigrant visa fees for each family member, the Form I-829 fee two years later, and professional fees for source-of-funds work and independent legal review, all at current published amounts.

Price the whole sequence, not just the capital contribution

The investment amount is the largest figure but not the only one. A regional-center project may charge an administrative fee on top of the capital contribution; that fee is not part of the at-risk investment, and its refund terms are governed by the offering documents. Government charges include the Form I-526E filing fee and the separate EB-5 Integrity Fund fee required with an initial Form I-526E, at the amounts shown in the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, which changes and should be checked at filing.

Immigrant visa processing at the consulate carries per-person fees, and the removal-of-conditions petition, Form I-829, has its own fee two years into residence. Professional costs can include a licensed U.S. immigration attorney, a Canadian lawyer to retrieve land registry or estate records where needed, and an accountant to reconcile tax returns with the movement of money.

Finally, remember that the capital must remain at risk and may not be returned if the project underperforms.