USCIS to Increase Immigration Fees Starting January 1, 2026 — Full Breakdown & Expert Analysis
- Таня В
- 22 hours ago
- 2 min read
USCIS has officially announced USCIS fee increase 2026, an inflation-based adjustment effective January 1, 2026, as required under the HR-1 One Big Beautiful Bill Act.The update appears in the Federal Register and reflects an inflation adjustment of roughly 2.7% based on the CPI-U.
These changes will affect asylum seekers, parole applicants, TPS holders, and several other categories.
Why USCIS Is Raising Fees — USCIS Fee Increase 2026 Explained
Under HR-1, USCIS must:
apply annual CPI-U based inflation adjustments;
use July-to-July CPI-U data;
round fees per statutory rules;
publish updated fees every year.
The USCIS fee increase 2026 is the first annual adjustment under the new law, setting the pattern for yearly updates moving forward.
Full 2026 Fee Comparison Table
USCIS Service | Current Fee | New Fee 2026 | Change |
I-589 Initial | $100 | $100 | 0 |
I-589 Annual Pending Fee | $100 | $102 | +$2 |
I-765 Initial (Asylum) | $550 | $560 | +$10 |
I-765 Renewal (Asylum) | $275 | $275 | 0 |
I-765 Initial (Parole) | $550 | $560 | +$10 |
I-765 Renewal (Parole) | $275 | $280 | +$5 |
I-821 TPS | $500 | $510 | +$10 |
I-360 SIJ | $250 | $250 | 0 |
The table clearly shows where the USCIS fee increase 2026 has the biggest impact — primarily on I-765 categories.
What Applicants Need to Know About the USCIS Fee Increase 2026
Updated fees apply starting January 1, 2026.
Applications with incorrect outdated fees will be automatically rejected.
Annual fee adjustments will now occur every year.
Asylum Annual Fee uses nearest-dollar rounding; others round to $10, following HR-1 rules.
Given the USCIS fee increase 2026, applicants should pay extra attention to the exact amounts before mailing their packet.
Expert Recommendations to Prepare for the USCIS Fee Increase 2026
✔ File before January 1, 2026This helps avoid delays due to miscalculated fees.
✔ Double-check your categoryAsylum, parole, TPS, and SIJ applicants have different rounding rules and fee structures.
✔ Always verify fees on the official USCIS website.
Even small mistakes can cause rejections — especially important during the transition to the USCIS fee increase 2026.
What the USCIS Fee Increase 2026 Means for Applicants
This update marks the first annual fee adjustment under HR-1.While increases are modest, they still impact thousands of applicants and require careful attention to new rules starting January 2026.
The USCIS fee increase 2026 essentially sets a new standard — predictable, annual fee adjustments tied to inflation.
The full text of the document is available to registered users at this link:
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