Practice Alert: USCIS Announces Increase to Premium Processing Fees Effective March 1, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published a final rule increasing USCIS premium processing fees, reflecting inflation from June 2023 through June 2025. These fee adjustments are authorized under the USCIS Stabilization Act, which permits DHS to update premium processing fees every two years to preserve their real dollar value.
According to DHS, revenue generated from the increased premium processing fees will be used to:
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- Provide premium processing services;
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- Improve adjudication processes;
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- Respond to adjudication demands, including processing backlogs; and
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- Fund USCIS adjudication and naturalization services more broadly.
Effective Date
The new premium processing fees take effect on March 1, 2026.
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- Any Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, that is postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, must include the new applicable fee.
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- Requests postmarked before March 1, 2026 must include the current fee.
Premium processing may only be requested where USCIS has specifically announced that premium processing is available for the underlying benefit.
Updated Premium Processing Fees
Effective March 1, 2026
| Form | Classification | Previous Fee | New Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form I-129 | H-2B or R-1 Nonimmigrant Status | $1,685 | $1,780 |
| Form I-129 |
All other available I-129 classifications: E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-3, L-1A, L-1B, LZ, O-1, O-2, P-1, P-1S, P-2, P-2S, P-3, P-3S, Q-1, TN-1, TN-2 |
$2,805 | $2,965 |
| Form I-140 |
Employment-Based Immigrant Classifications: E11, E12, E13, E21 (NIW and non-NIW), E31, E32, EW3 |
$2,805 | $2,965 |
| Form I-539 |
Change/Extension of Status for: F-1, F-2, J-1, J-2, M-1, M-2 |
$1,965 | $2,075 |
| Form I-765 |
Employment Authorization (Certain Eligible Applications): OPT and STEM OPT |
$1,685 | $1,780 |
Practice Note
Employers, petitioners, and applicants planning to file premium processing requests in early 2026 should account for the increased fees and ensure that filings submitted on or after March 1, 2026 include the correct payment to avoid rejection or processing delays.
