US visa applicants will need to pay an additional fee if they wish to expedite the processing of their application. Premium Processing fees for the issuance of several visa classifications will be increased from March 1, 2026.

Effective March 1, 2026, all requests for Premium Processing will require the new fee, as outlined in the Federal Register. This rule affects all USCIS forms that qualify for Premium Processing. Starting March 1, any Premium Processing request that is postmarked must include the new fee.

When individuals or companies request faster processing of visa applications, DHS takes a fee in addition to the standard filing cost. This is known as premium processing.

A premium processing request must be submitted on USCIS Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing. Form I-907 is the form to be used to request the processing of eligible forms in an expedited manner, called Premium processing or faster processing.

The eligible forms and categories allowed under Form I-907 – Request for Premium Processing form include Form I-129, Form I-140, Form I-765 and Form I-539. A request for premium processing postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, must include the new fee, as applicable to the benefit request classification.

The premium processing fee for petitions requesting H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant classification, using Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, will increase from $1,685 to $1,780.

The premium processing fee for all other available Form I-129 classifications (E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H3, L-1A, L-1B, and others will increase from $2,805 to $2,965.

For the Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, the premium processing fees for Form I-539 applications requesting F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, and J-2, nonimmigrant status will increase from $1,965 to $2,075.

For the Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, the premium processing fees for eligible applicants will increase from $1,685 to $1,780.

If you request premium processing, USCIS guarantees that they will take adjudicative action on the case within the periods described below, or they will refund the premium processing fee:

15 calendar days for most classifications;
30 calendar days for Form I-765 for F-1 students seeking OPT or STEM OPT extensions;
30 calendar days for Form I-539 applicants requesting a change of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2 nonimmigrant status
45 calendar days for Form I-140 E13 multinational executive and manager and Form I-140 E21 national interest waiver classifications