The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that starting from January 1, 2026, there will be an increase in application fees for certain immigration categories. This revision comes in the wake of inflation which was recorded in the period between July 2024 and July 2025. In simple terms, this means that applications submitted after this date will have to bear the revised fee else they will be rejected by the USCIS.
In a post on X, USCIS stated, "REMINDER: Effective Jan. 1, 2026, certain immigration-related fees will increase. We will reject any request postmarked on or after Jan. 1, 2026, without the proper filing fee."
Major changes
One of the biggest changes is the Visa Integrity Free of $250 which will have to be paid by non-immigrant visa applicants. Along with this, fees for some work authorisation applicants like Employment Authorisation Document (EAD) is also increasing. For protection categories, the initial EAD will now be $560. The fee-waiver request, which was free-of-cost earlier, will now come at a charge of $10.
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Category-wise Fee Hikes
Visa Integrity Fee: $250 (non‑waivable) for many non-immigrant visa applicants
Initial Asylum Applicant EAD (Form I-765): From $550 to $560
Initial Parole EAD (Form I-765): From $550 to $560
Renewal or extension of Parole EAD (Form I-765): From $275 to $280
Initial Temporary Protected Status [TPS] EAD (From I-765): From $550 to $560
Renewal or Extension of TPS EAD (Form I-765): From $275 to $280
Part 9-EAD with new period of parole (re-parole; Form I-131): From $275 to $280
Application for Temporary Protected Status (Form I-821): From $500 to $510
Clarification
The USCIS has clarified that these annual adjustments will now continue for every fiscal year so that the system stays aligned with the inflation. While fees for some categories will remain the same, a majority of applicants will have to bear the higher costs, the USCIS explained.
What this means for applicants
Immigration experts suggest that people who want to start applying in 2026 should file their applications by the end of 2025 so that they can avail the benefits of the old fee structure.
The biggest impact will come for families with many filings as they will have to bear the compounding costs. Frequent travellers, NRIs and global professionals will have to add $250 fee to each applicable visit. Apart from this, applicants who are paid in local currencies will be hit by exchange-rate changes.
Planning is the KEY
Experts suggest that people should closely monitor the fee chart and file early where possible. People can also consult immigration attorneys or other accredited representatives for case-specific timing and strategies.
These inflation-linked hikes create a predictable system but for applicants, the financial planning becomes even more crucial.
