Beginning on March 1, the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) announced a change to the premium processing fees for some immigration applications.

The USCIS Stabilization Act authorized DHS to change superior processing fees to account for inflation, the organization explained. The agency's fees will continue to be adjusted to reflect inflation and preserve the superior digesting service we offer. USCIS adds that if you submit a premium running ask postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, you must include the new price for the particular profit you are requesting in a Federal Register see that will be published on January 12. Employers, immigrants, and petitioners can pay an additional fee for U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) to expedite the resolution of some petitions, reducing wait times to a maximum of 15 days. This choice is especially popular with businesses that want to ensure that skilled workers have quick access to visa, as well as with applicants who have deadlines for traveling or getting an job. What expenses are changing? Fees for a number of different request categories will go up in line with the new law to balance inflation. Operating costs increased between June 2023 and June 2025, according to the Consumer Price Index ( CPI-U).

Among the most significant shifts:

The premium processing fee for I-129 petitions, which includes nonimmigrant visas like H-1B, L-1, and others, will increase from$ 2 805 to$ 2 965.

For the same I-129 form in H-2B and R-1 categories, the fee increases from$ 1, 685 to$ 1, 780.

Additionally, the premium for I-140 ( immigrant worker petitions ) will increase to$ 2, 965.

Form I-539's fee for changing or extending one's status as a nonresident may increase to$ 2,075.

The subscription fee for the Employment Authorization Form I-765 will be increased to$ 1,780.

Any superior processing ask submitted on or after March 1, 2026 will be subject to these adjustments.

Rationale for Government

The DHS defends the modification in the shared record by claiming that maintaining the fees may reduce the inflation-adjusted true value of premium processing services.

The updated costs account for a roughly 5. 72 % increase in the CPI-U over the examined time, which supports the annual adjustment mandated by law.

According to the final file, USCIS will receive approximately$ 77 million in additional yearly income from the cost increase in order to support its digesting and adjudication operations, taking into account the volume of annual petitions.

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