The increases are inflation adjustments to fees established under H.R. 1, legislation enacted in July 2025. According to USCIS, the changes reflect inflation from July 2025 through July 2026 and will continue a process under which the Department of Homeland Security adjusts certain fees in later fiscal years. Applications submitted with an incorrect fee after the effective date will be rejected.
Asylum, Parole and Work Authorization Fees Will Rise
The annual asylum application fee will increase from $102 to $105 under the new schedule. The immigration parole fee connected with Form I-131, which covers applications for travel documents, parole documents and arrival or departure records, will rise from $1,020 to $1,050.
Applicants seeking certain initial Employment Authorization Documents will also face a higher charge. According to USCIS, the filing fee for Form I-765 will increase from $560 to $570 when the applicant is seeking an initial work permit as an asylum applicant, a parolee or a Temporary Protected Status recipient.
The filing fee for Form I-821, used to apply for Temporary Protected Status, will move from $510 to $520. TPS allows eligible nationals of designated countries experiencing conditions such as armed conflict or environmental disasters to live and work temporarily in the United States.
According to Newsweek, the increases vary in dollar terms. The annual asylum charge rises by $3, while the parole fee increases by $30. The affected employment authorization and TPS fees each rise by $10.
For an asylum applicant required to pay both the annual asylum application fee and the affected initial employment authorization fee, the combined amount will be $675 after October 16, compared with $662 under the previous rates.
USCIS Links the Changes to Inflation As Separate EB-5 Fees Are Updated
USCIS said the new amounts apply according to the postmark date. A request postmarked on or after October 16 must include the adjusted fee whenever the new charge applies. A filing without the proper amount will be rejected.
The agency said the adjustments stem from the immigration fees introduced under H.R. 1 in 2025. According to its September 30 notice, DHS is required to adjust some of those charges for inflation beginning in fiscal year 2026 and in subsequent fiscal years.
The change comes separately from another USCIS fee update involving the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. On September 29, the agency announced revised EB-5 fees intended to recover the program’s operating costs, support processing-time goals and fund integrity measures including audits and site visits.
Those EB-5 fees are scheduled to take effect on November 30, 2026. USCIS said the changes follow the EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act of 2022, which directed the agency to conduct a program-specific fee study and establish charges that recover the full cost of administering the program.
USCIS also stated that it is largely funded through filing fees rather than taxpayer dollars. The agency said those fees support application reviews, background checks, eligibility verification, fraud detection and other operational costs tied to administering immigration benefits.
