USCIS Unveils Updated Premium Processing Fees in Response to Inflation

Sabrina Saada

Last Updated On: January 25, 2024 | Published On: December 27, 2023

premium processing fee increase

On December 27th, USCIS announced that they would be increasing the filing fee for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, in response to market conditions and inflation.

The USCIS Stabilization Act, which originally instituted the premium processing fees, grants the Department of Homeland Security the ability to biennially adjust the fees. After maintaining these fees at their current levels for the three years after the Act’s enactment, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has decided to raise the premium processing fees applicable to all eligible forms and categories. This adjustment aims to align the fees with the inflationary changes observed between June 2021 and June 2023, as indicated by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. Consequently, specific premium processing fees will see increments: from $1,500 to $1,685, $1,750 to $1,965, and $2,500 to $2,805.

What Will the Revenue from the Fee Increase Go Towards?

The enhanced premium processing fees, implemented by DHS, will channel generated revenue towards various initiatives including:

  • Provision of premium processing services
  • Enhancements to adjudication processes
  • Addressing adjudication demands (including the reduction of processing backlogs for benefit requests)
  • Overall funding for USCIS adjudication and naturalization services

This fee adjustment will take effect on February 26, 2024. If USCIS receives a Form I-907 postmarked on or after February 26, 2024, with an incorrect filing fee, the Form I-907 will be rejected, and the filing fee will be returned. For submissions sent through commercial couriers (such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL), the postmark date is considered as the date indicated on the courier receipt.

FORM

PREVIOUS FEES

NEW FEE

Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker

$1,500 (H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant status)

$2,500 (All other available Form 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, and TN-2))

$1,685 (H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant status)

$2,805 (All other available Form 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, and TN-2))

Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker

$2,500 (Employment-based (EB) classifications E11, E12, E21 (non-NIW), E31, E32, EW3, E13 and E21 (NIW))

$2,805 (Employment-based (EB) classifications E11, E12, E21 (non-NIW), E31, E32, EW3, E13 and E21 (NIW))

Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status

$1,750 (Form I-539 classifications F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, J-2, E-1, E-2, E-3, L-2, H-4, O-3, P-4, and R-2)

$1,965 (Form I-539 classifications F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, J-2, E-1, E-2, E-3, L-2, H-4, O-3, P-4, and R-2)

Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization

$1,500 (Certain F-1 students with categories C03A, C03B, C03C)

$1,685 (Certain F-1 students  with categories C03A, C03B, C03C)