I-526
Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor
Form I-526, Immigrant Petition by Standalone Investor, is the form a standalone investor uses to petition USCIS for status as an immigrant to the United States under section 203(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the EB-5 immigrant investor category.
The instructions say an investor may file it for themselves after investing, or while actively in the process of investing, the required amount in a new commercial enterprise (NCE) that will create full-time jobs in the United States for at least 10 qualifying employees, not counting the investor, the investor's spouse, or their sons or daughters. The required investment amount is set by statute, and the instructions point to the USCIS EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program page for it.
An investor pooling their investment with other EB-5 investors through the Regional Center Program uses Form I-526E instead. The form is 18 pages long and asks about the investor, their family, the NCE, the investment, job creation and visa processing.
A-Number, USCIS online account number, Social Security number, names, birth details, citizenship, addresses for the past five years, 20 years of employment history plus any government or military positions, and entry details with Form I-94 if you are in the United States.
Name, birth date, country of birth, citizenship and relationship for each family member, and whether each will apply for adjustment of status or an immigrant visa abroad.
Legal name, organizational structure, holding company and subsidiaries, formation date and state, EIN, address and census tracts where it does business, nature of activity and NAICS codes, type of NCE, troubled business status, and other owners.
How initial evidence is sent, the investment area type (rural, high unemployment, high employment or neither), dates and amounts invested, the make-up of the investment, administrative costs, net worth, sources of capital and any third party who moved funds.
Employee counts at investment and now, positions to be created, capital made available to job-creating businesses, then immigrant visa abroad or adjustment of status, other forms filed together, immigration proceedings and work without permission.
The petitioner's statement, contact details, declaration and signature, the interpreter and preparer sections, and additional information space.
Part 4 starts with one box: evidence sent with the petition, or sent later through a myUSCIS account. The instructions say the second option comes with instructions on the receipt notice, and USCIS strongly encourages sending it as soon as practicable.
Item 1.A. is marked on the form as a required field not to be left blank. Select only one type of NCE in Item 13.
For a high unemployment area, the instructions ask for each adjacent census tract as an 11-digit FIPS code, the weighted unemployment average, the national rate at the time of investment and the data sources used.
Items 14 to 17 cover where the money came from, any gift or loan and its donor or lender, and any third party, such as a money-service business or hawala, used to move funds into the United States.
Type or print in black ink. Write N/A where a question does not apply and None for a zero. Extra answers go in Part 10 with your name, A-Number, and the page, part and item number.
A stamped or typewritten name is not accepted. The instructions say a photocopy, fax or scan of the original handwritten signature is valid for filing. This page lets you fill the form online free, then print it for signature.
You get the real form, filled in a browser tab, with nothing standing between you and the finished PDF.
The USCIS page points to its Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-526 and Form I-526E page, and says petitions sent to the wrong address may face processing delays.
The fee is on the USCIS Fee Schedule page, and the instructions point to Form G-1055. Fees can change, so check it on the day you file.
The USCIS page says a properly filed petition gets two notices: one from the USCIS lockbox acknowledging receipt and the fee, then a formal receipt notice with the receipt number once data entry is done.
Proof of a lawful business entity, targeted employment area evidence if it applies, proof of the investment, proof the capital and any fees were lawfully obtained, job creation evidence such as tax records, Forms I-9 or a business plan, and a copy of government ID.
The instructions say capital does not include assets acquired by unlawful means, capital exchanged for a note, bond or other debt with the NCE, capital with a guaranteed rate of return, or capital with a contractual right to repayment.
The instructions say Form I-485 may be filed with or after Form I-526 if approval would make an immigrant visa immediately available, and point to the Visa Bulletin and the USCIS website to check.
I-526E
442 fields, 16 pages
I-485
730 fields, 24 pages
I-765
161 fields, 7 pages
I-131
339 fields, 14 pages
I-102
115 fields, 5 pages
G-1055
64 fields, 58 pages
No tool matches that search.
Form I-526 is for a standalone investor. The instructions say an investor pooling their investment with other EB-5 investors files Form I-526E, Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor.
The form does not print an amount. The instructions say the required investment amount is set by statute and point to the USCIS EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program page or a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
The instructions say at least 10 full-time positions for qualifying employees. That does not count the investor, the investor's spouse, sons or daughters, any nonimmigrant, or independent contractors.
Yes. Part 4 lets you choose to submit the required initial evidence through a myUSCIS account, and the instructions say you receive instructions with your receipt notice.
USCIS fees change, so this page does not list one. The I-526 page points to the USCIS Fee Schedule, and the instructions point to Form G-1055.