U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a move to raise several immigration fees.
The increases take effect October 16, 2026, and cover the annual asylum application fee and filing fees for Forms I-131, I-765 (initial filings for asylum seekers, parolees, and TPS holders), and I-821.
The increase in immigration fees was made known in a formal notice that was published in the U.S Federal Register.
The notice reads in part: “The new inflation-adjusted fees are effective on Oct. 16, 2026. If you submit a request postmarked on or after Oct. 16, 2026, for a benefit that requires one of these fees, you must include the new fee for the specific benefit you are requesting. Any request postmarked on or after Oct. 16, 2026 without the proper filing fee will be rejected.”
Why fees are rising
The increases are an annual inflation adjustment required by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), not a new policy decision. USCIS says consumer prices rose about 3.36% between July 2025 and July 2026, which triggered the statutory adjustment.
Most fees are rounded down to the next lowest $10, while a few, such as the annual pending-asylum fee, are rounded to the nearest dollar.
Fees that are going up
– Annual pending asylum fee: $102 to $105
– Initial work permit (Form I-765) for asylum applicants, parolees, and TPS holders: $560 to $570
– TPS application (Form I-821): $510 to $520
– Immigration parole fee (Form I-131): $1,020 to $1,050
Other agencies are adjusting fees too. U.S Customs and Border Protection is raising its fees for parole into the U.S., ESTA authorization, and EVUS enrollment. ICE is raising two enforcement-related fees, including one for people arrested after being ordered removed in absentia.
Fees that stay the same
The initial asylum application fee stays at $100, the asylum-applicant work permit renewal at $275, and the parole or TPS work permit renewal at $280. The asylum renewal fee is unchanged because H.R. 1 does not authorize inflation adjustments for it. The Form I-94 fee also stays at $24. Students filing Form I-765 for OPT or STEM OPT are not affected.
What applicants need to do
Affected requests postmarked on or after Oct. 16 must include the new amount, and USCIS will reject filings that don’t. Even a $3 shortfall can get a package returned. One immigration attorney advised that applicants worried about the cost should file before the deadline. She also recommended checking the USCIS fee schedule to confirm the amount due.
The increases are small, ranging from $3 to $30, but they sit on top of much larger changes. H.R. 1 introduced a $100 asylum application fee, a $550 initial work permit fee, and a tenfold jump in the TPS application fee, from $50 to $500. Some of these fees have also faced legal challenges. One earlier notice listed the annual asylum fee as stayed by court order, and a legal-news roundup mentions an August court ruling temporarily blocking certain TPS and asylum fee policies. Applicants should check current USCIS guidance before filing.
