U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will increase premium processing fees beginning March 1, 2026, under a final rule published by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
DHS said the fee adjustments reflect inflation from June 2023 through June 2025 and are authorized under the USCIS Stabilization Act, which allows the agency to update premium processing fees every two years to preserve their real dollar value.
Premium processing allows applicants to pay an additional fee for faster adjudication of certain immigration benefits. DHS said revenue from the increase will be used to maintain premium processing services, improve adjudication systems, address processing backlogs, and support broader USCIS adjudication and naturalization operations.
Any premium processing request postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, must include the new fee and be submitted using Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, in accordance with form instructions.
Under the new rule, the premium processing fee for Form I-129 petitions for H-2B and R-1 workers will rise from $1,685 to $1,780. For all other eligible Form I-129 nonimmigrant classifications—including H-1B, L-1, O, P, E, and TN visas—the fee will increase from $2,805 to $2,965.
The same increase, from $2,805 to $2,965, applies to Form I-140 employment-based immigrant petitions. Premium processing fees for Form I-539 applications to extend or change nonimmigrant status for certain student and exchange visitor categories will rise from $1,965 to $2,075. For eligible Form I-765 employment authorization applications, including OPT and STEM-OPT, the fee will increase from $1,685 to $1,780.
USCIS emphasized that premium processing is only available for benefits specifically designated as eligible and that applicants must confirm availability before filing.
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