News Alert: What You Need to Know About H.R. 1 USCIS Fees Update
Image by Francis MacDonald from Pixabay.. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is publishing a federal register notice (FRN) based on the H.R 1 Reconciliation Bill (H.R. 1). Asylees, Special Immigrants, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) applicants must submit the new fees with benefit requests postmarked on or after July 22, 2025.
Big news for anyone navigating the U.S. immigration system! U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced significant fee changes impacting various immigration forms, benefits, and applications, all stemming from the recently enacted H.R. 1 Reconciliation Bill. These new fees are effective for benefit requests postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. It's crucial to be aware of these updates, as USCIS will begin rejecting forms postmarked on or after August 21, 2025, if they don't include the proper new fees.
What's Changing?
H.R. 1 introduces specific fees for several immigration-related processes, with a portion of the revenue going to the Immigration Examinations Fee Account (IEFA) and the rest to the general fund of the Treasury. This isn't just a one-time change, either—DHS is required to increase these fees annually based on inflation.
Here’s a breakdown of the new fees announced by USCIS:
Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal: A new fee of $100 is now required for filing this form.
Annual Asylum Fee (AAF): For anyone with a pending Form I-589 filed after October 1, 2024, an Annual Asylum Fee of $100 will be due. This fee must be paid online. USCIS will issue personal notices to applicants when this annual fee is due, including payment instructions and consequences for non-payment. This fee applies for each calendar year the application remains pending after its one-year anniversary.
Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (EAD) for Asylum, Parolee, and TPS Categories:
Initial EAD applications: $550
Renewal or extension EAD applications: $275
Exception: If an EAD is requested after approval of a new period of parole (re-parole) via Form I-131, the fee will be $275.
Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant (Special Immigrant Juvenile): A new fee of $250 for those filing as a special immigrant juvenile.
Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status (TPS): The maximum cost to register for TPS has increased from $50 to $500.
Important Considerations:
Fees are Additional: These new H.R. 1 fees are in addition to any existing USCIS fees already in place. They do not supersede or replace current fees. You'll need to submit each fee separately.
No Fee Waivers for H.R. 1 Fees: Unlike some existing USCIS fees where you might be eligible for a fee waiver (by submitting Form I-912), the new H.R. 1 fees cannot be waived or reduced.
EAD Validity Period Changes: H.R. 1 also modifies the validity periods for some EAD categories:
For alien parolees, initial employment authorization is now valid for no more than one year or the duration of parole, whichever is shorter.
For aliens with TPS, initial and renewal employment authorizations are valid for no more than one year or the duration of their TPS status, whichever is shorter.
More Fee Changes to Come: This Federal Register Notice (FRN) doesn't cover all new fees mandated by H.R. 1. DHS plans to announce additional fee implementations in future actions, including changes for Form I-131 (Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records) and Form I-102 (Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document).
What You Need to Do
If you plan to file any of the affected forms, ensure you check the most current fee schedule on the USCIS website and include the correct, separate payments. Remember, any form postmarked on or after August 21, 2025, submitted without the proper fees will be rejected. Stay informed and prepare accordingly!
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