USCIS will raise several H.R. 1 immigration fees on October 16, affecting certain asylum, parole, employment authorization and Temporary Protected Status filings. Applicants using the covered categories must submit the new amount or risk having their requests rejected.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the fiscal year 2027 adjustments on September 30, 2026. The changes apply to covered immigration benefit requests postmarked on or after October 16, 2026, according to a Department of Homeland Security notice published in the Federal Register on October 1, 2026.
The annual fee for a pending asylum application will rise from $102 to $105. The fee for an initial Form I-765 employment authorization document based on a pending asylum application, parole or Temporary Protected Status will increase from $560 to $570.
The H.R. 1 fee associated with an initial Form I-821 Temporary Protected Status application will rise from $510 to $520. The immigration parole fee associated with Form I-131 will increase from $1,020 to $1,050. Filings postmarked after the deadline must include the correct fee, or USCIS will reject them.
The adjustments are required by H.R. 1, enacted on July 4, 2025. The law created several immigration-related fees and directed DHS to update eligible amounts annually using changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.
USCIS calculated the fiscal year 2027 amounts using the approximately 3.36 percent increase in the index between July 2025 and July 2026. Most adjusted amounts must be rounded down to the next-lowest multiple of $10, while the annual pending asylum fee is rounded down to the nearest dollar.
Because of those rounding rules, several covered fees will not change. The initial asylum application fee remains $100, while certain employment authorization renewal or extension fees remain at their current levels. The Special Immigrant Juvenile fee also remains $250.
This is not an across-the-board increase to every USCIS filing fee. The notice covers a limited group of charges established under H.R. 1 and does not list standard F-1 Optional Practical Training applications or H-1B petitions among the adjusted categories.
International students and professionals should still confirm the complete payment required for their specific filing because an H.R. 1 charge may apply in addition to another USCIS form fee. Applicants preparing a covered request near the transition date should use the postmark date, rather than the date they complete the form, to determine which amount applies.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Applicants with questions about their eligibility or required fees should consult official USCIS instructions or a qualified immigration professional.