USCIS Will No Longer Accept Combined Fee Payments For EB-5, Immigrant Investor Program Applications or Petitions

Beginning Thursday, September 1, 2022 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will no longer accept a single, combined fee payment when an applicant or petitioner files Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor, or Form I-526E, Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor, together with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, Form 131, Application for Travel Document, or Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization. Petitioners may combine the fee payment for Forms I-485, I-131 and I-765. However, petitioners must send a separate fee payment for Form I-526 or I-526E.

If a petitioner or applicant submits a single, combined fee payment for Form I-526 or I-526E and the other forms, we will reject the forms for improper fee payment and return the fee.

Background
USCIS is transitioning to electronic processing of immigration benefit requests. As we complete this transition, we will be using multiple systems to receipt and process various types of immigration benefit requests. The Form I-526 and I-526E petitions and related applications are not all processed in the same system, so a separate payment instrument for each of these forms is required. We acknowledge that using multiple checks or payments for petitions and related applications is more burdensome than using one payment. However, we believe that the advantages of electronic processing to both the agency and to the public outweigh the impact of submitting individual fee payments.

This article is provided as an educational service and is not legal advice. Consult with an attorney for your specific circumstances.  For a comprehensive evaluation of your immigration situation and options, you are invited to call us at 214-393-4917, text us using our chat box, or complete our contact form.