Do I have to pay USCIS to review a TEA?

The designation of a Targeted Employment Area (TEA) in EB-5 is not made by USCIS. A TEA is a high-unemployment or rural area whose recognition typically comes from state, local, or specific government authorities. USCIS’s role is to evaluate the submitted documentation that supports this designation within the petition.

Therefore, there is no standalone service called ‘TEA review’ with a separate fee. What exists are the official fees of the EB-5 process itself, tied to form filings and the petition’s procedural steps. Whether and how much is paid at each stage depends on the current USCIS rules, which change over time.

Since fee amounts and billing rules are updated periodically, do not rely on figures from memory. Confirm current fees directly on the USCIS website, and be wary of anyone who promises guaranteed results or charges amounts outside the official standard. When in doubt, specialized and impartial guidance can help map the real costs of your case.

About the author

Victoria Harper

Editor-in-Chief

Meet the author

As a journalist and lead editor at Visto n’ Visa, Victoria helps ensure that immigration topics are covered in a clear, trustworthy, and easy-to-understand way. Her focus is on delivering useful, human, and relevant content for people exploring new paths abroad.