US Immigration Fees Rise for Work Permits and Asylum applicants from October 16, 2026, as the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) increases charges for several immigration-related services.
The revised fees affect asylum applications, certain employment authorisation documents, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and specific immigration parole benefits.
The change is important for Indians living in the United States or applying for eligible immigration benefits.
Applicants must pay the revised amount for affected requests postmarked on or after October 16, 2026, or risk having their applications rejected for incorrect fees.
US Immigration Fees Rise: New Charges Explained
The latest fee revision is part of an annual inflation adjustment required under the H.R. 1 reconciliation law.
USCIS said the adjustments reflect inflation between July 2025 and July 2026, with the revised charges applying to specific immigration forms rather than every US visa category.
The updated fees cover four key categories. These include the annual asylum application fee, certain immigration parole requests, initial Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for eligible applicants and applications for Temporary Protected Status.
The revised charges are as follows:
The annual asylum application fee has increased from $102 to $105, an increase of $3.
The immigration parole fee under Form I-131 has risen from $1,020 to $1,050, an increase of $30.
The initial employment authorisation fee under Form I-765 for eligible asylum applicants, parole recipients and TPS applicants has increased from $560 to $570.
The application fee for Temporary Protected Status under Form I-821 has gone up from $510 to $520.
How the New US Immigration Fees Affect Indians
Indian nationals who already live in the United States and are applying for eligible employment authorisation or other covered immigration benefits may need to budget for the higher charges.
The impact will depend on the type of application they submit and whether the revised fee applies to their case.
For example, an eligible applicant seeking an initial EAD through one of the covered categories will now pay $570 instead of $560.
Similarly, an applicant filing for an immigration parole benefit covered by the change will face a $1,050 fee rather than the earlier $1,020.
However, these adjustments do not mean that every Indian applying for a US visa will automatically pay more.
The revision is limited to the specified immigration benefits and forms, so applicants should identify the exact category under which they are applying before making a payment.
Incorrect Payments Could Lead to Application Rejection
The effective date is particularly important for people preparing immigration paperwork. USCIS has stated that requests postmarked on or after October 16, 2026, must include the applicable revised fee.
Applications submitted with an incorrect fee may be rejected. Applicants should therefore verify the latest fee schedule before mailing their forms and ensure that the payment matches the immigration benefit requested.
It is also important to distinguish the date a form is prepared from the date it is postmarked.
Applicants filing around the effective date should check the applicable submission requirements rather than assume that an older fee will still be accepted.
Which US Visa Fees Have Not Changed?
The latest announcement does not introduce a blanket increase across all US visa categories.
The adjustments discussed here apply to specific USCIS-administered immigration benefits, including the listed asylum, employment authorisation, parole and TPS fees.
Applicants applying for other visa categories should not assume that their charges have increased under this particular revision.
They should consult the official fee schedule relevant to their application and check whether any separate changes apply.
For Indian students, professionals and travellers, the key takeaway is to identify the exact visa or immigration benefit required before paying.
The October 16 revision concerns selected immigration fees, and checking the latest official requirements can help applicants avoid payment errors and unnecessary delays.
