Immigration attorney Keshab Seadie confirmed Friday that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will raise premium-processing fees across key form types effective March 1, 2026, following a biennial inflation adjustment published in the Federal Register last month. The surcharge, which guarantees adjudication in 15 calendar days, will increase by roughly 6 percent:
• Form I-140 and most Form I-129 classifications: from $2,805 to $2,965.
• H-2B and R-1 cases: from $1,685 to $1,780.
• Form I-539 (change/extension of status): from $1,965 to $2,075.
• Form I-765 (F-1 OPT): from $1,685 to $1,780.
Large multinationals that rely on premium processing for high-volume H-1B, L-1 and O-1 filings could see six-figure budget impacts over the fiscal year. Seadie recommends front-loading petitions before March 1 to save costs and mitigate processing delays that continue to plague regular-track filings.
![USCIS to Raise Premium Processing Fees on March 1—Employers Face Higher Fast-Track Costs]()
For organizations and individuals recalibrating their immigration strategies, VisaHQ’s U.S. visa platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) can streamline the process with real-time fee tracking, automated reminders, and expert document reviews—helping applicants stay ahead of rising premium-processing costs.
The increase dovetails with USCIS’s broader fee-rule overhaul expected later this spring, which may hike standard filing fees by up to 30 percent. Mobility and HR teams should revise cost forecasts and consider spreading filings across quarters to manage cash flow. Vendors providing relocation packages tied to visa approvals need to update pricing to reflect the new surcharge.
While premium processing remains a vital tool for just-in-time project staffing and employee travel, the steady fee creep raises questions about affordability for startups and universities. Industry coalitions are renewing calls for Congress to allow digital adjudication efficiencies as an alternative to perpetual fee hikes.
• Form I-140 and most Form I-129 classifications: from $2,805 to $2,965.
• H-2B and R-1 cases: from $1,685 to $1,780.
• Form I-539 (change/extension of status): from $1,965 to $2,075.
• Form I-765 (F-1 OPT): from $1,685 to $1,780.
Large multinationals that rely on premium processing for high-volume H-1B, L-1 and O-1 filings could see six-figure budget impacts over the fiscal year. Seadie recommends front-loading petitions before March 1 to save costs and mitigate processing delays that continue to plague regular-track filings.
For organizations and individuals recalibrating their immigration strategies, VisaHQ’s U.S. visa platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) can streamline the process with real-time fee tracking, automated reminders, and expert document reviews—helping applicants stay ahead of rising premium-processing costs.
The increase dovetails with USCIS’s broader fee-rule overhaul expected later this spring, which may hike standard filing fees by up to 30 percent. Mobility and HR teams should revise cost forecasts and consider spreading filings across quarters to manage cash flow. Vendors providing relocation packages tied to visa approvals need to update pricing to reflect the new surcharge.
While premium processing remains a vital tool for just-in-time project staffing and employee travel, the steady fee creep raises questions about affordability for startups and universities. Industry coalitions are renewing calls for Congress to allow digital adjudication efficiencies as an alternative to perpetual fee hikes.
