Effective March 15, 2023, USCIS has eliminated the need for biometrics submission and the $85 fee for petitioners submitting Form I-526E, Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor. Therefore, petitioners no longer need to pay the biometrics fee while submitting the form.
USCIS officials determined that the collection of universal biometrics is not necessary under INA 203(b)(5)(H)(iii) for all regional center investor petitioners while submitting Form I-526E to ensure compliance with INA 203(b)(5)(H)(i)-(ii). However, USCIS may request the submission of biometrics from a Form I-526E petitioner when the need arises under INA 203(b)(5)(H)(iii), 8 CFR 103.2(b)(9), or under other applicable authorities.
Since the form’s inception in 2022, USCIS has received nearly 980 Form I-526E petitions with the biometrics fee, and these fees will be refunded in the upcoming weeks. Petitioners are not required to initiate a request for a refund with USCIS.
A new edition of Form I-526E with updated instructions, dated 03/15/23, has been released. USCIS will only accept the 03/15/23 edition of the form from May 15 onwards. Until then, petitioners can submit either the new or previous edition of the form dated 06/01/22.
The edition date can be found at the bottom of the page on the form and its accompanying instructions. However, it is important to note that the previous edition still includes instructions regarding the biometrics submission requirement, which is no longer needed.
Source: USCIS
