Under the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule, announcing the increase in US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fees corresponding to several visas, including nonimmigrant student and work categories. As per a news release dated January 9 (US time), the authorities have made these revisions on the basis of the impact of inflation witnessed from June 2023 through June 2025.
The latest announcement also stands in line with the mandate established by the ‘USCIS Stabilization Act,’ which allows the DHS to adjust premium process fees every two years so that the amount of inflation can be taken into account.
“Fees will continue to be adjusted agencywide to account for inflation and protect the real dollar value of the premium processing service we provide,” read the official USCIS news release.
“The revenue generated by this fee increase will be used to provide premium processing services; make improvements to adjudication processes; respond to adjudication demands, including processing backlogs; and otherwise fund USCIS adjudication and naturalization services.”
When do the new premium processing visa fees go live?
According to the official announcement, the rule will go into effect March 1, 2026. This means that if you submit a request for premium processing on or after March 1, you must pay the revised fee for required benefit. As has already been established, to request premium processing, applicants must submit Form I-907, aka the ‘Request for Premium Processing.’
What is US visa premium processing?
By applying for premium processing, visa applicants can avail expedited or fast-tracked processing for the following forms:
- Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker;
- Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker;
- Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker;
- Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status.
According to the official USCIS website, adjudicative action on a case after a premium processing request is filed will require 15 business day for most classifications. For Form I-765, however, 30 business days may be needed. 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 may face a 30-day wait as well.
Meanwhile, those concerned with Form I-140 E13 multinational executive and manager and Form I-140 E21 national interest waiver classifications may need 45 days for approval.
USCIS’ new visa premium process fees
According to the January 9 USCIS news release, the new premium processing fee is as follows:
| Form / Visa type | Previous fee | New fee |
| Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant status | $1,685 | $1,780 |
| Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, all other available Form I-129 classifications: – E-1 – E-2 – E-3 – H-1B – H-3 – L-1A – L-1B – LZ – O-1 – O-2 – P-1 – P-1S – P-2 – P-2S – P-3 – P-3S – Q-1 – TN-1 – TN-2 | $2,805 | $2,965 |
| Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, employment-based classifications: – E11 – E12 – E13 – E21 (NIW and non-NIW) – E31 – E32 – EW3 | $2,805 | $2,965 |
| Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, requesting: – F-1 – F-2 – J-1 – J-2 – M-1 – M-2 | $1,965 | $2,075 |
| Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for certain eligible applications (OPT and STEM-OPT Classifications) | $1,685 | $1,780 |