U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially implemented a new rule requiring an annual $100 fee for asylum applications that have been pending for more than one year. The rule, which took effect on October 1st, aims to apply to a significant number of individuals whose applications have been in a prolonged state of review.
The initial group affected are those who filed their asylum applications before October 1, 2024, and whose cases remain pending as of September 30, 2025. Under the new policy, these applicants will be required to pay the annual fee to USCIS. For applications filed on or after October 1, 2024, the $100 charge will become due 365 days after the filing date if the case is still pending.
USCIS has clarified that individuals do not need to monitor their own eligibility. Instead, USCIS will issue individual, personalized notices to every affected applicant.
“For the first time the AAF (Annual Asylum Fee) is due, aliens who file for asylum do not need to monitor the time their application has been pending and if the AAF applies to them. USCIS will issue personal notices to aliens when their annual asylum fee is due, which will include the amount of the fee, when it must be paid, how the fee must be paid, and the consequences of failing to pay. USCIS will provide guidance for future years’ AAF payments in subsequent issuances,” USCIS clarifies.
Furthermore, those whose applications are pending before an Immigration Court will be notified to pay through the Executive Office for Immigration Review’s payment portal. The new annual pending fee is estimated to immediately impact approximately 15,000 Nepali individuals, many of whom have been waiting years for a decision on their asylum claims.
The new annual fee comes in addition to other fee changes implemented by USCIS, which began applying new fees to new asylum filings postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. Following a one-month grace period, USCIS had warned that any new application forms postmarked on or after August 21, 2025, that do not include the correct, updated fees will be rejected.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
