Fees for expedited immigration processing are set to increase Mar. 1, due to inflation.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a final rule Jan. 12 raising premium processing fees for all eligible forms and categories to adjust for inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index. Any premium processing request postmarked on or after March 1 must include the new fee.
Premium processing is a popular, optional service available for some types of immigration benefits which allows applicants and petitioners to request faster service for a fee, speeding up the process considerably.
USCIS has said that the agency plans to increase premium processing fees every two years to reflect inflation. The fees were last raised in 2024.
Updated Fees
The final rule sets the following updated fees:
- Form I-129, petition for temporary workers. Premium processing fees for all Form I-129 requests for classifications other than H-2B will increase from $2,805 to $2,965. Premium processing fees for H-2B requests will increase from $1,685 to $1,780.
- Form I-140, petition for employment-based permanent residency. Premium processing fees for Form I-140 requests will increase from $2,805 to $2,965.
- Form I-539, application to extend or change temporary immigration status. Premium processing fees for Form I-539 requests will increase from $1,965 to $2,075.
- Form I-765, application for employment authorization. Premium processing fees for Form I-765 requests will increase from $1,685 to $1,780.
USCIS stated that the biennial inflation-based adjustments to premium processing fees aim to ensure that the agency can continue to provide timely premium processing services, improve adjudication processes, and address backlogs and operational demands.
The latest fee increase is expected to generate approximately $77 million annually in additional revenue, which will be used to support USCIS operations and enhance service delivery.
Employers should factor the new premium processing fees into their immigration budget.
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