Uscis Stabilization Act Raises Fees as Premium Processing Speeds Some Work Visas

(UNITED STATES) — The U.S. government raised immigration processing fees in two major waves in 2026, increasing costs for employers, students and some humanitarian applicants under separate authorities tied to the USCIS Stabilization Act and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1).

One track took effect Jan. 1, 2026, creating and inflation-adjusting certain humanitarian and enforcement-related charges under H.R. 1, while another took effect March 1, 2026, increasing premium processing fees after an inflation update tied to the USCIS Stabilization Act.

Both rounds matter because they can add to the total cost of a case at multiple points, including petitions, applications and optional expedited processing. Some increases reflect inflation indexing, while others stem from statutory provisions that establish new fees or new annual adjustments.

DHS and USCIS framed the premium processing changes as an inflation-driven update tied to operational needs. “The Department of Homeland Security is publishing a final rule that will increase USCIS fees for premium processing to reflect the amount of inflation from June 2023 through June 2025. The revenue generated by this fee increase will be used to provide premium processing services; make improvements to adjudication processes; respond to adjudication demands, including processing backlogs; and otherwise fund USCIS adjudication and naturalization services.”

A separate USCIS announcement on H.R. 1-linked adjustments described recurring, year-over-year inflation updates. “We have issued a Federal Register notice that will increase certain H.R. 1 immigration-related fees for fiscal year (FY) 2026. These fee adjustments reflect the amount of inflation from July 2024 through July 2025. Beginning in FY 2026, and continuing for each subsequent fiscal year, DHS will adjust some of these fees for inflation, as specified in H.R. 1.”

Premium processing, used heavily in employment-based filings, is an optional expedite service requested through Form I-907 for certain petitions and applications. Employers often use it to reduce uncertainty around start dates, extensions and travel, while some individuals use it to speed decisions tied to school or work timelines.

USCIS increased Form I-907 fees by approximately 5.72% across the board effective March 1, 2026, as a biennial inflation adjustment. The new premium processing fee for Form I-129 classifications including H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN and E-3 rose to $2,965 from $2,805, and the premium processing fee for Form I-140 employment-based immigrant worker filings rose to $2,965 from $2,805.

International students and exchange visitors saw a separate premium processing rise tied to change or extension filings. The premium processing fee for Form I-539 increased to $2,075 from $1,965, affecting filings for F, J and M change or extension of status.

Students seeking expedited work authorization through premium processing also faced a higher price. The premium processing fee for Form I-765 for OPT and STEM-OPT EADs increased to $1,780 from $1,685.

Some seasonal and religious worker categories were also captured by the new premium processing schedule. The premium processing fee for Form I-129 for H-2B or R-1 status only increased to $1,780 from $1,685.

The government tied those premium processing increases to inflation measures rather than a broader restructuring of the service. Even so, the higher amounts can influence how employers budget and whether they choose to pay for expedited processing on top of baseline filing fees already in place.

The second 2026 track of fee changes stemmed from H.R. 1, described as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a budget reconciliation bill signed in July 2025. Unlike premium processing, these adjustments include new fee types and built-in annual inflation updates for specified categories beginning in FY 2026.

Among the biggest shifts under H.R. 1 were new or adjusted charges connected to humanitarian pathways and to enforcement-related assessments. The legislation introduced annual inflationary adjustments for specific humanitarian and enforcement-related fees effective Jan. 1, 2026.

For asylum seekers, the changes included a new $100 annual asylum application fee that was inflation-adjusted to $102, and a $550 initial work permit (EAD) fee for asylum seekers. Some of these fees were temporarily stayed by a February 2026 court decision in Ms. L. v. ICE.

H.R. 1 also created a new enforcement-related assessment: a $5,000 “Inadmissible Alien Apprehension” fee for individuals apprehended between ports of entry. The framework links certain costs to enforcement encounters and applies based on the trigger described in the fee’s name.

Another area affected by H.R. 1 involved adjustment of status filings and Immigration Court-related components referenced in the draft. While the base fee was set at $1,440 in 2024, H.R. 1 adjustments for filings with the Immigration Court (EOIR) increased to $1,540 effective February 1, 2026.

That mix of USCIS and EOIR-related touchpoints matters because immigration cases can move through multiple stages and multiple entities, and applicants can face more than one fee over time. A single path may involve an underlying petition, an application, work authorization and related filings, each with its own payment requirements.

Employers and applicants can also see compounding costs when premium processing is added on top of baseline filing fees. The premium processing fee, paid for expedited handling through Form I-907, is separate from the filing fees for the underlying form, which can amplify total expenses in employment-based cases.

The cost increases have practical implications for employers that use premium processing to meet hiring timelines, particularly for common Form I-129 categories like H-1B and L-1. They can also matter for foreign nationals seeking time-sensitive outcomes related to extensions, transfers, or travel, where the timing of a USCIS decision can affect next steps.

International students on OPT and STEM OPT face a similar planning problem if they rely on expedited work authorization. The premium processing fee for Form I-765 rose to nearly $1,800, making the expedite option more expensive for applicants trying to start work on a specific date.

USCIS’s fee moves come within an agency funding model that relies heavily on the fees it collects. USCIS receives approximately 96% of its funding from filing fees, and the government has tied fee increases to inflation measures and staffing and technology needs, citing pressures related to backlogs.

The policy significance of the 2026 changes differs by track. The USCIS Stabilization Act approach links premium processing updates to inflation measures such as the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), keeping the optional service aligned with costs over time while keeping the structure intact.

H.R. 1 uses a broader set of tools, including new fees and annual inflation updates for certain categories beginning in FY 2026, shifting some program costs toward applicants in humanitarian processes and in enforcement-related mechanisms.

USCIS and DHS have pointed readers to official channels for confirmation of amounts, effective dates, and the underlying rule text as implementation proceeds. USCIS maintains updates through its USCIS Newsroom and publishes reference material for applicants and employers, including the USCIS Fee Schedule (G-1055).

Premium processing adjustments are reflected in a Federal Register posting. The government’s premium processing rule appears at Federal Register notice on premium processing.

DHS also provides information tied to H.R. 1 implementation. The department’s page is available at the DHS H.R. 1 implementation page.

As the two 2026 fee tracks roll through filings at different points in the year, applicants and employers have had to watch effective dates closely, especially when cases span multiple steps or combine baseline filing fees with optional premium processing.