USCIS Premium Processing Fees Rise March 1, 2026
If you are waiting on a work visa, a green card petition, or a work permit and you planned to pay for faster processing, your costs are about to go up. USCIS is raising its premium processing fees starting March 1, 2026 — and if you send the wrong amount, your application could be rejected. Here is what changed and what you need to do before the deadline.
Starting March 1, 2026, USCIS — the agency that handles immigration applications — will charge higher fees for premium processing. Premium processing is an optional service that lets you pay extra to get a faster decision on certain applications, such as work visa petitions and green card petitions. If your application is postmarked on or after that date, you must include the new, higher fee or USCIS may reject your request.
Why are the fees going up?
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says the increase reflects inflation. Specifically, DHS used the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) — a standard government measure of how prices change over time — to calculate a 5.72 percent increase based on price changes from June 2023 to June 2025. DHS rounds its fees to the nearest $5. For example, the premium processing fee for most Form I-129 petitions (used by employers to sponsor workers for H-1B and other work visas) will rise from $2,805 to $2,965. For Form I-129 petitions for H-2B or R-1 workers, the fee goes from $1,685 to $1,780. The fee for Form I-140 (the immigrant petition for workers seeking a green card) and other forms will also increase by a similar percentage.
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The last time USCIS adjusted premium processing fees for inflation was February 26, 2024. This new increase follows the same legal process. DHS estimates the higher fees will bring in roughly $77 million in additional revenue each year across the affected forms, including I-129, I-140, I-539 (application to extend or change nonimmigrant status), and I-765 (application for a work permit, also called an Employment Authorization Document or EAD).
Premium processing does not guarantee approval. It guarantees speed. Under the rules, USCIS must take action — issue an approval, a denial, a request for more evidence, or a notice of intent to deny — within 15, 30, or 45 business days depending on the form type. If USCIS misses that deadline, it must refund your premium processing fee.
What to do
- Check your mailing date carefully. If you plan to file a premium processing request, make sure it is postmarked before March 1, 2026 to pay the current lower fee. Applications postmarked on or after that date must include the new fee.
- Confirm the exact new fee for your form. The increase varies by form type. Before you file, check the USCIS website or ask your employer's immigration attorney to confirm the correct amount for your specific petition.
- Do not send the wrong fee amount. If you include the wrong fee, USCIS may reject your entire filing. A rejected filing can delay your case and, in some situations, affect your work authorization or visa status.
- Talk to an immigration lawyer if timing is critical. If your H-1B extension, green card petition, or work permit renewal has a tight deadline, lawyers recommend filing as soon as possible and confirming the correct fee before submitting.
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The fee change takes effect based on the postmark date, not the date USCIS receives your package — so mailing a day late can cost you the difference. If you are filing Form I-129 for an H-1B extension or Form I-140 for a green card and you are close to the March 1 deadline, send your package with overnight or certified mail and keep the receipt as proof of the postmark date. Given how much is at stake — your work authorization, your visa status, your green card timeline — this is a situation where a brief consultation with an immigration attorney before you file can prevent a costly mistake.