As of October 21, 2026, the USCIS fee increase that took effect in October 2026 is narrow: it covers only fees created by H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and the fees that rose went up by $3 to $30 each (91 FR 62541 to 62542, FR Doc. 2026-20187). The immigration parole fee rose from $1,020 to $1,050, and the initial work permit for asylum, parole and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) applicants rose from $560 to $570 (USCIS news alert, Sept. 30, 2026). The new amounts apply to requests postmarked on or after October 16, 2026 (91 FR 62540).
If you are on an employment-based green card path, the forms you file did not change. Form I-140, Form I-485, the work permit filed with a pending I-485 and the advance parole application all keep the fees in the current USCIS fee schedule (USCIS, Form G-1055, edition 10/16/26).
- USCIS announced the FY 2027 H.R. 1 inflation adjustment in a Federal Register notice published October 1, 2026 at 91 FR 62540 (FR Doc. 2026-20187).
- The new USCIS amounts apply to immigration benefit requests postmarked on or after October 16, 2026; requests without the proper fee are rejected.
- The H.R. 1 immigration parole fee rose from $1,020 to $1,050 for anyone granted parole on or after October 16, 2026, unless an exception applies.
- Initial asylum, parole and TPS work permits (Form I-765) rose from $560 to $570, and the Form I-821 TPS fee from $510 to $520.
- The adjustment uses a 3.36 percent rise in CPI-U between July 2025 and July 2026, with most fees rounded down to the next lowest $10.
- Form I-140, Form I-485, the I-485-based work permit and the $630 advance parole application are not H.R. 1 fees and did not change.
- EVUS enrollment rose to $31.75 and ESTA to $40.62 under a separate CBP notice effective the same day.
What changed in the USCIS fee increase of October 2026?
USCIS published a notice titled "Fiscal Year 2027 Inflation Adjustment to H.R. 1 Immigration Fees" in the Federal Register on October 1, 2026, at 91 FR 62540 (91 FR 62540). Its Table 1 lists every H.R. 1 fee USCIS collects and the fiscal year 2027 amount (91 FR 62541 to 62542).
| H.R. 1 fee | FY 2026 fee | FY 2027 fee (from Oct 16, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual pending asylum application fee | $102 | $105 |
| I-131 immigration parole fee | $1,020 | $1,050 |
| I-765 initial asylum applicant EAD | $560 | $570 |
| I-765 initial parole EAD | $560 | $570 |
| I-765 initial TPS EAD | $560 | $570 |
| I-821 TPS fee | $510 | $520 |
| I-589 initial asylum fee | $100 | $100 (no change) |
| I-765 renewal asylum applicant EAD | $275 | $275 (not adjusted) |
| I-765 renewal parole EAD, renewal TPS EAD, re-parole EAD | $280 | $280 (no change) |
| I-360 special immigrant juvenile fee | $250 | $250 (no change) |
| I-94 immigration fee | $24 | $24 (no change) |
All figures come from Table 1 of the USCIS notice (91 FR 62541 to 62542). Some H.R. 1 fees are charged in addition to the regular USCIS filing fee for the same form. For example, most initial parole and TPS work permits carry the $520 paper filing fee plus the separate $570 H.R. 1 fee, which cannot be waived (USCIS, Form G-1055). The fee schedule also notes that, as of February 5, 2026, the H.R. 1 asylum fees do not apply to Ms. L. settlement class members and their qualifying additional family members filing Form I-589 as principal applicants, under a court order in Ms. L. v. ICE (USCIS, Form G-1055).
When does the October 2026 fee increase take effect?
The new USCIS amounts apply by postmark date. The notice's Dates section reads:
"The fees announced in this notice are effective on or after October 16, 2026. Any immigration benefit request postmarked on or after October 16, 2026 without the proper filing fee will be rejected." 91 FR 62540 (Oct. 1, 2026), DATES
DHS said the gap between publication and the effective date gives USCIS time to issue guidance and gives the public time to adjust requests already in process (91 FR 62542). The previous round of adjustments, for fiscal year 2026, took effect January 1, 2026 (91 FR 62541).
The parole fee follows a different trigger. DHS says the event that creates the obligation to pay is the actual grant of parole, not the filing of an application, so unless an exception applies, the $1,050 amount is collected from anyone granted parole on or after October 16, 2026, regardless of when the request was submitted (91 FR 62536, FR Doc. 2026-20185).
How was the FY 2027 inflation adjustment calculated?
H.R. 1, signed on July 4, 2025 as Public Law 119-21, created these fees as minimum amounts for fiscal year 2025 and requires an annual update based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) (91 FR 62541). The CPI-U was 323.048 in July 2025 and 333.918 in July 2026, an increase of about 3.36 percent (91 FR 62541).
The statute requires most of these fees to be rounded down to the next lowest multiple of $10, while the annual asylum fee is rounded down to the nearest dollar (91 FR 62541). That rounding explains the uneven results. The parole fee's inflation adjustment came to $34.32, which rounds down to $30 (91 FR 62536). A $280 renewal work permit fee adjusted to $289.42 rounds back to $280 (91 FR 62541 to 62542). The $275 asylum applicant EAD renewal fee is not adjusted at all, because H.R. 1 does not provide for an inflation adjustment to that fee (91 FR 62542, footnote 3).
Did employment-based USCIS fees go up in October 2026?
No. The H.R. 1 fees in the notice are humanitarian, parole and travel-related fees, and the list does not include Form I-129, Form I-140 or Form I-485 (91 FR 62541 to 62542). The fee schedule dated October 16, 2026, the day the increase took effect, still shows these amounts (USCIS, Form G-1055):
| Form | Current fee (G-1055, edition 10/16/26) |
|---|---|
| I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers | $715 paper or $665 online, plus Asylum Program Fee ($600 regular, $300 small employer or self-petitioner, $0 nonprofit) |
| I-485, adjustment of status (age 14 and over) | $1,440 paper or $1,390 online |
| I-765 with a pending I-485 filed with a fee on or after April 1, 2024 | $260 |
| I-131 advance parole with a pending I-485 | $630 paper or $580 online |
| I-907 premium processing for an EB-1 or EB-2 I-140 | $2,965 |
So a self-petitioner filing an EB-1A or EB-2 NIW I-140 on paper pays $715 plus a $300 Asylum Program Fee, the same as before October 16 (USCIS, Form G-1055). The work permit you request while your adjustment application is pending is a different category from the asylum, parole and TPS work permits that rose to $570; our guide to the work permit while an I-485 is pending explains how that category works.
H-1B fee developments are a separate matter from this notice; our post on what is in force for the H-1B fee in October 2026 tracks them. EB-5 investors face a separate change: a USCIS final rule published September 30, 2026 adjusts EB-5 fees for requests postmarked on or after November 30, 2026 (91 FR 61940, FR Doc. 2026-20016).
Does the $1,050 parole fee apply when I return on advance parole?
This is the question that matters most for green card applicants who travel. The $630 Form I-131 fee you pay to apply for an advance parole document did not change (USCIS, Form G-1055). The H.R. 1 parole fee is a separate charge: the fee schedule says CBP will require an additional fee each time you seek parole at a port of entry, unless it determines you qualify for an exception (USCIS, Form G-1055).
H.R. 1 lists ten exceptions, and one is written for adjustment applicants. DHS set it out in its October 2025 notice implementing the fee:
"The alien is a lawful applicant for adjustment of status under section 245 of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1255); and is returning to the United States after temporary travel abroad" 90 FR 48318 (Oct. 16, 2025), exception (7)
The exception is not applied automatically. The FY 2027 CBP notice says the fee will not be assessed only if the traveler establishes, to DHS's satisfaction and on an individual, case-by-case basis, that one of the ten exceptions fits (91 FR 62536). CBP collects the fee at the port of entry when it grants parole and the person has not shown, in CBP's discretion, that an exception applies (90 FR 48318, FR Doc. 2025-19564). What evidence of a pending I-485 to carry, and whether a trip counts as temporary, are questions for your attorney. Our guide to travel while an I-485 is pending covers the abandonment rule and the advance parole document itself.
What else changed on October 16, 2026?
Two other DHS components published companion notices the same day, effective the same date.
| Fee | Agency | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | Status on October 21, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H.R. 1 fees collected by USCIS (table above) | USCIS | Various | Various | In force for requests postmarked on or after Oct 16, 2026 |
| Immigration parole fee | CBP, USCIS, ICE | $1,020 | $1,050 | In force for parole granted on or after Oct 16, 2026 |
| ESTA travel authorization | CBP | $40.27 | $40.62 | In force from Oct 16, 2026 |
| EVUS enrollment | CBP | $30.75 | $31.75 | In force from Oct 16, 2026 |
| Form I-94 at a land border | CBP | $30 | $30 | Unchanged |
| In absentia removal and between-ports apprehension fees | ICE, CBP | $5,130 | $5,300 | In force from Oct 16, 2026 |
| Codifying the FY 2027 amounts in 8 CFR part 106 | DHS | n/a | n/a | Not done; DHS says it may do so in a future rule |
The ESTA, EVUS, I-94 and parole rows come from the CBP notice (91 FR 62534 to 62537, FR Doc. 2026-20185). The enforcement fee row comes from the ICE notice (91 FR 62542 to 62543, FR Doc. 2026-20186). The codification point is in the USCIS notice (91 FR 62542).
The EVUS fee is worth noting for families. EVUS is currently used by nationals of the People's Republic of China who hold a 10-year B-1, B-2 or B-1/B-2 visitor visa, so parents visiting from mainland China now pay $31.75 to enroll (91 FR 62536 to 62537). A denied ESTA application costs $10.62 (91 FR 62536).
What this means for you
For most skilled immigrants on the EB-1A, EB-2 NIW or PERM path, the October 2026 increase changes nothing you file. Your I-140, I-485, work permit and advance parole application cost what they cost on October 15 (USCIS, Form G-1055). The practical exposure is at the border: if you travel on advance parole while your I-485 is pending, the adjustment-applicant exception exists, but it is something you establish at inspection rather than something that happens by default (91 FR 62536). Our explainer on the I-485 in practice covers what keeps an adjustment application "lawful" and pending.
Most of these amounts are recalculated every year. H.R. 1 requires DHS to adjust most of these fees for inflation each fiscal year (91 FR 62541).
- Check every fee against the current Form G-1055 edition on the day you mail the package.
- If a filing carries an H.R. 1 fee, check the fee schedule for whether it is paid in addition to the regular form fee, as it is for initial parole and TPS work permits.
- Do not reuse a fee calculation prepared before October 16, 2026 for any H.R. 1 fee.
- Before traveling on advance parole, ask your attorney what proof of your pending I-485 to carry for the parole fee exception.
- If parents are visiting from mainland China on a 10-year visitor visa, budget $31.75 for EVUS.
Where to start
If you are planning an EB-1A, EB-2 NIW or O-1 filing, our free evaluation at /evaluate/ compares your record with the criteria for each route. Frank, our AI assistant at /frank, finds real opportunities for the criteria you are still missing. Petitions are reviewed and filed by our partner law firm, Lai & Turner.
Sources
All checked October 21, 2026.
- USCIS, Fiscal Year 2027 Inflation Adjustment to H.R. 1 Immigration Fees, 91 FR 62540, FR Doc. 2026-20187 (Oct. 1, 2026). Effective date, postmark rule, CPI-U figures, rounding rules, full table of USCIS-collected H.R. 1 fees, possible codification.
- CBP, Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2027 Adjustments for Inflation, 91 FR 62534, FR Doc. 2026-20185 (Oct. 1, 2026). Parole fee calculation and grant-of-parole trigger, case-by-case exceptions, ESTA, EVUS and I-94 fees.
- ICE, Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2027 Adjustments for Inflation, FR Doc. 2026-20186 (Oct. 1, 2026). Enforcement fees of $5,300 from October 16, 2026.
- DHS, Immigration Parole Fee Required by HR-1 Reconciliation Bill, 90 FR 48317, FR Doc. 2025-19564 (Oct. 16, 2025). The ten statutory exceptions, including the adjustment-applicant exception, and CBP collection at ports of entry.
- USCIS, USCIS Announces FY 2027 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related Fees (Sept. 30, 2026). USCIS announcement and summary of the changed fees.
- USCIS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment-Based Immigrant Visa, Fifth Preference (EB-5) Fee Rule, 91 FR 61940, FR Doc. 2026-20016 (Sept. 30, 2026). Separate EB-5 fee rule effective November 30, 2026.
- USCIS, Form G-1055, Fee Schedule (edition 10/16/26). Current I-140, I-485, I-765, I-131 and I-907 fees, and how H.R. 1 fees are added to regular fees, and the Ms. L. asylum fee carve-out.
Frequently asked questions
What fees did USCIS increase in October 2026?
USCIS raised a short list of fees created by H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, for inflation. From October 16, 2026, the annual asylum fee is $105, the immigration parole fee is $1,050, initial asylum, parole and TPS work permits cost $570, and the Form I-821 TPS fee is $520. Each rose by between $3 and $30. Regular filing fees, such as those for Form I-140 and Form I-485, did not change.
Did the I-140 or I-485 fee go up in October 2026?
No. The October 2026 adjustment covers only fees created by H.R. 1, and none of them are employment-based petition fees. The USCIS fee schedule dated October 16, 2026 still lists Form I-140 at $715 on paper or $665 online, plus any Asylum Program Fee, and Form I-485 at $1,440 on paper or $1,390 online. Premium processing for an I-140 remains $2,965.
Do I have to pay the $1,050 parole fee when I return on advance parole with a pending I-485?
H.R. 1 lists ten exceptions to the parole fee, and one covers a lawful applicant for adjustment of status under section 245 of the INA who is returning after temporary travel abroad. The exception is not automatic: DHS decides case by case whether you have shown it applies, and CBP assesses the fee at the port of entry. Ask your attorney what documents to carry before you travel.
Is the new fee based on when I file or when parole is granted?
It depends on the fee. For USCIS filing fees, the dividing line is the postmark: a request postmarked on or after October 16, 2026 must include the new amount. The parole fee works differently. DHS says it is triggered by the actual grant of parole, so unless an exception applies, the $1,050 amount applies to anyone paroled on or after October 16, 2026, regardless of when the request was submitted.
Why did some H.R. 1 fees not change in October 2026?
H.R. 1 requires most fee increases to be rounded down to the next lowest multiple of $10. With a 3.36 percent inflation rate, smaller fees such as the $280 renewal parole and TPS work permits, the $250 special immigrant juvenile fee and the $100 initial asylum fee rounded back to their current amounts. The $275 asylum EAD renewal fee is not adjusted at all, because H.R. 1 does not provide for it.
Green Card Guide AI is not a law firm and this article is not legal advice. It describes evidence-building strategy in general terms; your attorney determines what belongs in your petition and how it's argued.
