USCIS Launches System for Annual Asylum Fee Payment, But Advises Applicants to Wait for Notice

The USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) has launched a system on its website allowing individuals whose asylum applications have been pending for more than a year to pay the newly introduced annual asylum fee. This fee can now be paid through the USCIS online account.

However, USCIS is advising applicants to wait for an official notice before attempting to make the payment. If an applicant tries to pay before receiving the official letter, they will see a message indicating that they should wait for the notification from USCIS.

Once an applicant logs into their USCIS online account and clicks the option to pay, they can navigate to the link for the annual asylum fee. They will need to enter their Alien Number and Receipt Number to complete the transaction. The fee can be paid using ACH or a bank card.

“Any alien who filed or files a Form I-589 after Oct. 1, 2024, that remains pending with USCIS for 365 days must pay the Annual Asylum Fee (AAF) as of the one-year anniversary of his or her filing date and each year thereafter that the application remains pending on such day of the calendar year,” USCIS states on the payment page under eligibility.

USCIS further clarifies, “For the first time the AAF 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.”

If you filed your asylum application after October 1, 2024, and it remains pending, you must pay the $100 fee 365 days after the date you filed. For example, if you filed on November 15, 2024, and it is still pending on November 15, 2025, you will owe the $100 annual fee. Again, USCIS will send you a letter with the fee amount, deadline, payment method, and consequences of non-payment.

According to USCIS, individuals whose asylum applications were pending before October 1 of last year must pay the $100 fee starting October 1. Specifically, if an application filed before October 1, last year, is still pending as of September 30, 2025, the individual must pay the $100 fee to USCIS. (Note: The year “last year” should be specified for clarity, e.g., “October 1, 2024.”)

The rule, published in the Federal Register in July, mandates that all applicants whose asylum application has been pending for one full year since October 1, 2024, must pay this fee. This means if you filed your application before October 1, 2024, and it is still pending, it completed one year on September 30, 2025, and you must pay the fee upon receiving the letter from USCIS.

USCIS won’t refund the fee once paid. The agency further clarifies, “USCIS does not refund fees, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or how long USCIS takes to reach a decision. By continuing this transaction, you acknowledge that you must submit fees in the exact amount and that you are paying the fees for a government service.”

For applications pending in the Immigration Court, the payment can be made through the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) payment portal. However, applicants will also be notified via letter in those cases. It is estimated that nearly 15,000 Nepalis are immediately affected by this rule.

USCIS also began implementing new filing fees for asylum applications starting July 22. Applicants were initially required to include these new fees with applications postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. USCIS provided a one-month grace period with a warning that any forms postmarked on or after August 21, 2025, and submitted without the correct fee will be rejected.