Civitas Capital Group’s Mine Ekim Breaks Down the 2026 EB-5 Fee Rule
Mine Ekim, Managing Director, Legal & Head of Investor Experience at Civitas Capital Group, has authored an article in the Fall 2026 issue of IIUSA’s Regional Center Business Journal on the EB-5 fee rule the Department of Homeland Security published on September 30, 2026 – what is changing for EB-5 investors and regional centers, and what to watch as the new USCIS fee schedule takes effect.
The article traces the path from the November 2025 court stay of the 2024 EB-5 fee increases to a final rule grounded in the EB-5-specific fee study required by the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022 (RIA). Form I-526E fees more than double from reinstated levels but remain below 2024 levels, while regional centers face higher fees for initial Form I-956 and I-956F filings. Mine also explains the new Form I-527 for legacy investors, the codified EB-5 Integrity Fund fees and late-payment penalties, and clarified Form I-829 rules for spouses and children.
She closes with practical points for EB-5 investors and regional centers: the November 30, 2026 postmark date, the risk of rushing an incomplete petition to beat it, and the first inflation adjustment to EB-5 investment amounts on January 1, 2027.
Read the full article (pp. 35-39).
