USCIS to Implement New Immigration Fees Starting Tomorrow with a One-Month Grace Period

Starting tomorrow, July 22, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin enforcing new fees for various immigration benefit requests, as detailed in a Federal Register Notice (FRN) based on the H.R. 1 Reconciliation Bill, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

Applicants are required to include these new fees with benefit requests postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. USCIS has established a one-month grace period; however, any forms postmarked on or after August 21, 2025, without the correct fees will be rejected, according to USCIS. The notice, set to publish tomorrow in the Federal Register, outlines the fee implementation, payment processes, and consequences of non-compliance.

For Form I-589, Application for Asylum and Withholding of Removal, a $100 filing fee is required for applications submitted on or after July 22, 2025. Additionally, an Annual Asylum Fee (AAF) of $100, payable online, applies to each calendar year an asylum application remains pending.

For applications filed after October 1, 2024, and pending for 365 days, the AAF is due on the one-year anniversary of the filing date and annually thereafter. For applications pending as of October 1, 2024, the AAF applies if the application remains pending with USCIS by September 30, 2025, without retroactive fees for prior years. USCIS will notify applicants of AAF due dates, payment methods, and consequences of non-payment, with further guidance to be provided in future issuances.

For Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, new fees apply to specific categories, including asylum seekers (category (c)(8)), parolees (category (c)(11)), and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) applicants (categories (c)(19) and (c)(34)). The fees are $550 for initial Employment Authorization Document (EAD) applications and $275 for renewal or extension EAD applications.

For parolees requesting an EAD after an approved re-parole period via Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records, the fee is $275, regardless of prior EAD status. EAD validity for parolees and TPS holders is limited to one year or the duration of their parole or TPS status, whichever is shorter.

Additionally, Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, now carries a $250 fee for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) petitions, and the maximum cost to register for TPS using Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status, has increased from $50 to $500, excluding the $30 biometric services fee, which may be waived.

The H.R. 1 fees are mandatory and non-waivable, although pre-existing regulatory fees may be eligible for waivers under 8 CFR 106.3(a). Applicants must submit H.R. 1 fees separately from existing USCIS fees, with the AAF requiring online payment.

The FRN does not cover all H.R. 1 fees, such as those for Form I-131, Form I-102, parole fees, visa integrity fees, Form I-94, Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), Electronic Visa Update System, or in-absentia removal fees. These will be addressed in future DHS publications due to implementation complexities or administration by other agencies.