Filing fees at more than one stage from the USCIS fee schedule, administration or subscription fees on a pooled investment, legal fees weighted toward the source-of-funds work, and accounting, translation and independent diligence costs.
Budget the second stage before you start the first
The budget should cover both the initial immigrant-investor filing and Form I-829, which is filed during the 90-day period immediately before the second anniversary of obtaining conditional residence. Use the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, to check the fee for each stage at the time. Pooled projects generally charge an administrative fee in addition to the capital, often non-refundable, and its treatment should be understood before subscription documents are signed. Legal fees are substantial because the source-of-funds work is substantial, and a career-length record is more work than a single sale. Accountants may be needed to reconcile years of filings; translators for foreign-language records; and independent commercial advisers for diligence on the project, which is an expense worth incurring rather than avoiding.
Hypothetical example: Ingrid is comparing a direct enterprise with a regional-center offering and has enough funds for the investment itself. Her first review should separate qualifying capital from administration, filing, legal, due-diligence, translation, travel, and contingency costs. Subscription documents settle the amount entering the enterprise; fee agreements settle the other charges. She must decide whether the total exposure, including funds that may remain tied up and subject to loss, fits her financial plan. The frequent error is budgeting only the headline investment amount and then making a rushed decision about ancillary charges or liquidity after funds are committed.