The United States government has announced that it will raise the cost of premium immigration processing fees by about 5.6 per cent, with the new charges taking effect from 1 March 2026. The change, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will affect a wide range of fast-track services used by individuals and employers seeking quicker decisions on visa petitions, work permits and other immigration requests.
Premium processing is an optional service offered by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that guarantees an expedited review of certain forms, usually within 15 calendar days. It is widely used by employers hiring foreign workers, by international students seeking work authorisation, and by people filing petitions for employment-based visas. The fee increases are designed to keep pace with inflation and protect the financial stability of the immigration agency’s services.
According to the revised schedule, those filing Form I-129 for non-immigrant workers such as temporary workers and religious workers will see the premium processing fee rise from $1,685 to $1,780. For other classifications under the same form, including visas for skilled professionals like H-1B, L-1 and O-1 categories, the fee will climb from $2,805 to $2,965. The same $2,965 charge will now apply to Form I-140, which covers immigrant petitions for employment-based permanent residency.
Applicants seeking faster decisions on requests to extend or change their non-immigrant status, such as students or exchange visitors filing Form I-539, will pay a new fee of $2,075, up from $1,965. Those applying for employment authorisation through Form I-765, including Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM-OPT extensions for students, will face an increased charge of $1,780, up from $1,685.
DHS stated that the fee adjustments reflect inflation measured by the US Consumer Price Index from June 2023 to June 2025 and are permitted under the USCIS Stabilisation Act, which allows for biennial adjustments to maintain the “real dollar value” of premium processing services. Officials said the higher fees will help fund improvements to the agency’s adjudication processes, reduce persistent backlogs, and support essential naturalisation and immigration services.
The changes come as the immigration system continues to face heavy demand and long processing times for many routine applications. USCIS has struggled in recent years with resource constraints and staffing challenges, and the premium processing service has become an important option for employers and applicants needing certainty on timelines, especially for job placements and travel planning.
The increase affects any request that is postmarked on or after 1 March 2026. DHS has warned that if an application includes the old fee after that date, USCIS will reject it, potentially delaying decisions. This requirement underscores the importance for applicants and employers to plan ahead, ensuring that the correct fee is paid for filings around the deadline.
Experts say the fee rise is unlikely to stop demand for premium processing, as many employers depend on the faster service to secure foreign talent and avoid long waits that can stretch into months. However, higher costs may add to financial pressures on small businesses and international students who already face significant immigration-related expenses.
Critics of the increase argue that rising fees could make the immigration system less accessible, especially for individuals and families with limited means. Supporters counter that regular inflation adjustments are necessary to sustain the quality and speed of services. In any case, the new fees mark one of the first major changes to premium processing costs in the current biennial cycle and will have direct effects on thousands of applications filed in 2026.
Overall, applicants planning to use premium processing for employment, study or residency-related petitions should budget for the higher charges and ensure fee compliance to avoid rejected filings once the March 1 deadline comes into force.
