USCIS has announced another round of immigration fee increases for Fiscal Year 2027. The new amounts will apply to certain immigration applications and benefits beginning October 16, 2026.

These increases are required under H.R. 1, the federal law that created several new immigration-related fees in 2025 and requires certain fees to be adjusted for inflation every year.

Although most of the increases are relatively small, paying the wrong filing fee can cause USCIS to reject an application entirely. Anyone planning to file for asylum, Temporary Protected Status, work authorization, or certain parole benefits should carefully check the new fees before submitting a case.

WHICH USCIS FEES ARE INCREASING?

Beginning October 16, 2026, the following fees will increase:

1. Annual Asylum Fee

Current fee: $102
New fee: $105

This is the annual fee associated with a pending Form I-589 asylum application. It is separate from the initial asylum filing fee.

2. Immigration Parole Fee

Current fee: $1,020
New fee: $1,050

This fee generally applies when qualifying parole is actually granted, subject to statutory exceptions.

3. Initial Employment Authorization for Asylum Applicants

Current fee: $560
New fee: $570

This applies to certain applicants requesting an initial Employment Authorization Document, or EAD, based on a pending asylum case.

4. Initial Employment Authorization Based on Parole

Current fee: $560
New fee: $570

Certain parolees applying for their first EAD will pay the increased fee.

5. Initial Employment Authorization Based on TPS

Current fee: $560
New fee: $570

Applicants requesting an initial work permit based on Temporary Protected Status will also see a $10 increase.

6. Form I-821 — Application for Temporary Protected Status

Current fee: $510
New fee: $520

The H.R. 1 portion of the TPS application fee will increase by $10.

SOME IMMIGRATION FEES ARE NOT CHANGING

Not every H.R. 1 immigration fee will increase for FY 2027. Several fees will remain at their current amounts:

Initial Form I-589 asylum filing fee: $100
Renewal or extension of certain parole, TPS, or re-parole EADs: $280
Renewal or extension of an asylum-based EAD: $275
Special Immigrant Juvenile Form I-360 fee: $250
Form I-94 fee: $24

The reason some fees remain unchanged is that the law uses specific inflation calculations and rounding rules. In some cases, the inflation adjustment is not large enough to result in a higher rounded fee.

WHY ARE THESE FEES INCREASING?

H.R. 1 created a number of new immigration fees affecting asylum seekers, parolees, TPS applicants, Special Immigrant Juveniles, and others.

The law also requires the government to recalculate many of these fees each fiscal year based on inflation.

For FY 2027, the adjustment is based on changes in the Consumer Price Index between July 2025 and July 2026. As a result, USCIS is increasing several of the H.R. 1 fees by amounts ranging from $3 to $30.

This means immigrants should expect some of these fees to be reviewed and potentially increased again in future fiscal years.

THE OCTOBER 16 DATE IS IMPORTANT

The new USCIS amounts apply to affected filings postmarked on or after October 16, 2026.

Applicants filing around the effective date should be extremely careful.

If USCIS receives an application with an incorrect filing fee, the agency may reject the entire filing. A rejection can create serious problems, especially if someone is facing:

An expiring immigration status;
An expiring work permit;
A TPS filing deadline;
An asylum-related deadline;
A court or USCIS deadline; or
Another time-sensitive immigration issue.

A rejected application normally does not preserve the filing date simply because USCIS previously received the package.

ASYLUM APPLICANTS SHOULD PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION

The immigration fee system for asylum cases has changed significantly.

In addition to the initial asylum filing fee, certain applicants with pending asylum cases may also be subject to an annual asylum fee. The annual fee is increasing from $102 to $105 for FY 2027.

Asylum applicants should not assume that filing Form I-589 once means there will never be another government fee connected to the pending case. USCIS has developed procedures for collecting these annual fees, and the rules surrounding payment and nonpayment have also been the subject of litigation and continuing agency guidance.

TPS AND PAROLE APPLICANTS ARE ALSO AFFECTED

The changes are especially important for people relying on TPS or humanitarian parole.

A TPS applicant may now have multiple government costs associated with the case, including the TPS application itself and, where applicable, an employment authorization application.

Similarly, certain parole cases may involve the separate immigration parole fee in addition to fees connected with applications for employment authorization.

Applicants should therefore calculate the entire cost of the immigration process, rather than looking only at the fee for one form.

BEFORE YOU FILE, CHECK THE CURRENT FEE

USCIS filing fees have changed repeatedly during the last several years, and additional fees have been created for categories that historically had little or no filing cost.

Do not rely on an old application, an old USCIS receipt, or information you found online months ago when determining how much to pay.

Before submitting an immigration filing, confirm:

The correct version of the immigration form;
The current USCIS filing fee;
Whether an additional H.R. 1 fee applies;
Whether multiple forms require separate fees;
Whether a fee waiver or statutory exception may be available; and
Whether USCIS requires a particular payment method.

NEED HELP WITH YOUR IMMIGRATION CASE?

Immigration filing rules are becoming increasingly complicated, and even a small filing mistake can result in a rejected application or significant delay.

If you are applying for asylum, TPS, humanitarian parole, employment authorization, a Green Card, or another immigration benefit, Shepelsky Law Group can review your immigration history, explain the applicable filing requirements, and help you determine the correct strategy for your case.

Call Shepelsky Law Group at 718-769-6352 to schedule an immigration consultation.