The International Entrepreneur Rule remains active for 2026, letting qualifying foreign founders with at least a 10% stake obtain up to 30 months of parole (extendable to five years). Founders must show at least $311,071 in qualified investment or $124,429 in qualified government grants; re-parole needs $622,142 in investment/revenue and a 5% stake. Fees are a $1,200 Form I-941 filing fee plus a new ~$1,000 parole fee (effective Oct 16, 2025, adjusted annually from FY2026).
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International Entrepreneur Rule 2026: $311K investment bar, new parole fee
Why this matters for founders
Non-citizen founders without a US investor can use IER as a lower-profile alternative to a visa; line up the $311K in qualified investment (or $124K in grants) and budget roughly $2,200 in federal fees before filing.
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