New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- For Indians looking to secure US permanent residency through investment, the EB-5 route is set to become significantly more expensive. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has finalised a fee rule that will sharply increase several charges associated with the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Programme, with the changes taking effect from November 30.

The fee increase comes at a significant time for Indian applicants. Demand for EB-5 visas has grown, and India has already faced limits on the number of EB-5 unreserved visas available during the current fiscal year.

Under the new fee structure, the filing fee for Form I-526, used by standalone EB-5 investors, will rise from $3,675 to $7,615.

For investors appl...