As of March 15, 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has removed the biometrics submission requirement and related $85 fee for petitioners filing Form I-526E, Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor. USCIS said it may still request the submission of biometrics from a Form I-526E petitioner as necessary. The agency said it will refund biometrics fees paid by about 980 petitioners since the form’s release in 2022. Petitioners do not need to contact USCIS to request a refund.
Effective May 15, 2023, USCIS will accept only the 03/15/23 edition of Form I-526E. Until then, petitioners can submit either the new edition or the previous edition of Form I-526E (dated 06/01/22). The previous edition still contains instructions about the biometrics submission requirement that are no longer accurate.
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