USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees Due to Inflation

USCIS Policy Alerts

Published March 1st, 2026

Detected March 1st, 2026

Summary

USCIS is increasing fees for premium processing services to account for inflation, as authorized by the USCIS Stabilization Act. The new fees, effective March 1, 2026, will help fund adjudication and naturalization services. Specific fee increases are detailed for various petition and application types.

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What changed

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is implementing a final rule that adjusts USCIS premium processing fees to reflect inflation from June 2023 through June 2025. This adjustment, effective March 1, 2026, is mandated by the USCIS Stabilization Act to maintain the real dollar value of premium processing services and to fund USCIS operations, including backlog reduction. The rule specifies new fees for several forms, including I-129, I-140, I-539, and I-765, with increases ranging from $95 to $160 depending on the form and classification.

Regulated entities requesting premium processing on or after March 1, 2026, must submit the new, higher fee with their Form I-907. Failure to include the correct fee will result in the request not being processed. Compliance requires updating internal systems and procedures to reflect the new fee schedule for all applicable premium processing requests submitted on or after the effective date.

What to do next

Update internal fee schedules to reflect new USCIS premium processing fees effective March 1, 2026.
Ensure all Form I-907 submissions postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, include the correct, updated fee.
Review USCIS guidance on available premium processing services for specific benefit requests.

Source document (simplified)

USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees

Release Date

01/09/2026

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is publishing a final rule that will increase USCIS fees for premium processing to reflect the amount of inflation from June 2023 through June 2025.

The USCIS Stabilization Act established the authority for DHS to adjust premium processing fees every two years to account for inflation. Fees will continue to be adjusted agencywide to account for inflation and protect the real dollar value of the premium processing service we provide. The revenue generated by this fee increase will be used to provide premium processing services; make improvements to adjudication processes; respond to adjudication demands, including processing backlogs; and otherwise fund USCIS adjudication and naturalization services.

This rule is effective on March 1, 2026. If you submit a request for premium processing postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, you must include the new fee for the specific benefit you are requesting. The new fees are listed in the table below. To request premium processing, you must submit Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, and follow the form instructions.

| Form | Previous Fee | New Fee |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant status | $1,685 | $1,780 |
| Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, all other available Form I-129 classifications:

E-1
E-2
E-3
H-1B
H-3
L-1A
L-1B
LZ
O-1
O-2
P-1
P-1S
P-2
P-2S
P-3
P-3S
Q-1
TN-1
TN-2 | $2,805 | $2,965 |
| Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, employment-based classifications:

E11
E12
E13
E21 (NIW and non-NIW)
E31
E32
EW3 | $2,805 | $2,965 |
| Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, requesting:

F-1
F-2
J-1
J-2
M-1
M-2 | $1,965 | $2,075 |
| Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for certain eligible applications (OPT and STEM-OPT Classifications) | $1,685 | $1,780 |
You may only request premium processing for a benefit if announced premium processing is available for that benefit.

Last Reviewed/Updated:

01/09/2026

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