US TO INCREASE IMMIGRATION FEES FOR ASYLUM, WORK PERMITS FROM OCTOBER 16

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By: Fasasi Hammad

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will increase fees for certain immigration-related applications and services from October 16, 2026, following an inflation adjustment required under H.R. 1.

The changes will affect applications and services relating to asylum, immigration parole, employment authorisation and Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

USCIS said the adjustments were based on inflation recorded between July 2025 and July 2026. Under H.R. 1, the Department of Homeland Security is required to adjust certain immigration-related fees annually in line with inflation, beginning in fiscal year 2026.

The new fees will apply to qualifying requests postmarked on or after October 16, 2026. USCIS warned that applications requiring any of the affected fees could be rejected if submitted without the correct payment.

Under the new adjustment, the Annual Asylum Application Fee will increase from $102 to $105.

The immigration parole fee for Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records, will rise from $1,020 to $1,050.

Similarly, the fee for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, covering an initial employment authorization document for asylum applicants, parolees or TPS applicants, will increase from $560 to $570.

The fee for Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, will also rise from $510 to $520.

USCIS initially announced the implementation of the H.R. 1 immigration-related fees in a Federal Register notice published on July 22, 2025.

The latest adjustments form part of the annual inflation-based fee changes required under the law and will remain in effect for fiscal year 2027.