Effective 12:01 a.m. Eastern on March 1, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) implemented its first inflation-linked adjustment to premium-processing fees since 2024. The final rule—published in the Federal Register on January 12—raises the “fast-track” surcharge employers pay to secure adjudication within 15–45 days for many work-visa and immigration benefits.
Key increases include: • Form I-129 petitions for H-1B, L-1, E-1/E-2 and most other non-immigrant workers climb from $2,805 to $2,965; • H-2B and R-1 filings rise from $1,685 to $1,780; • Form I-539 change-/extension-of-status requests for F-1 students, J exchange visitors and dependents increase from $1,965 to $2,075; • Form I-765 employment-authorisation applications jump from $1,685 to $1,780. The $2,750 fee for certain EB-1C multinational-manager immigrant petitions now stands at $2,965 and carries a 45-day review window.
USCIS says the hike, required under the 2020 Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act, reflects two years of Consumer Price Index inflation and will fund technology upgrades and staffing. Employers submitting Form I-907 requests post-marked today or later must include the higher amount or risk rejection.
![USCIS Premium-Processing Fees Rise Today Across All Employment-Based Categories]()
Amid these shifting fee structures, many organizations find value in leveraging third-party platforms for up-to-date filing guidance. VisaHQ, an online visa and passport processing service, offers real-time fee calculators, deadline alerts and document checklists that can simplify U.S. employment-immigration workflows for HR and mobility teams. See https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ for details on how the service can streamline premium-processing submissions and other USCIS applications.
For corporate mobility programmes, the extra $160–$200 per case is a non-trivial budget item—especially for high-volume H-1B or L-1 populations. Many companies rushed filings last week to beat the deadline; those that did not should reconcile purchase-order limits and refresh internal cost calculators immediately. Immigration counsel also recommend updating employee communication templates to reflect the new fees and timelines.
Because the FY 2027 H-1B cap registration window opens March 4, employers should keep separate cheques ready: a $215 registration fee, the regular petition filing fees due later this spring, and the new premium-processing surcharge if accelerated review is desired.
Key increases include: • Form I-129 petitions for H-1B, L-1, E-1/E-2 and most other non-immigrant workers climb from $2,805 to $2,965; • H-2B and R-1 filings rise from $1,685 to $1,780; • Form I-539 change-/extension-of-status requests for F-1 students, J exchange visitors and dependents increase from $1,965 to $2,075; • Form I-765 employment-authorisation applications jump from $1,685 to $1,780. The $2,750 fee for certain EB-1C multinational-manager immigrant petitions now stands at $2,965 and carries a 45-day review window.
USCIS says the hike, required under the 2020 Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act, reflects two years of Consumer Price Index inflation and will fund technology upgrades and staffing. Employers submitting Form I-907 requests post-marked today or later must include the higher amount or risk rejection.
Amid these shifting fee structures, many organizations find value in leveraging third-party platforms for up-to-date filing guidance. VisaHQ, an online visa and passport processing service, offers real-time fee calculators, deadline alerts and document checklists that can simplify U.S. employment-immigration workflows for HR and mobility teams. See https://www.visahq.com/united-states/ for details on how the service can streamline premium-processing submissions and other USCIS applications.
For corporate mobility programmes, the extra $160–$200 per case is a non-trivial budget item—especially for high-volume H-1B or L-1 populations. Many companies rushed filings last week to beat the deadline; those that did not should reconcile purchase-order limits and refresh internal cost calculators immediately. Immigration counsel also recommend updating employee communication templates to reflect the new fees and timelines.
Because the FY 2027 H-1B cap registration window opens March 4, employers should keep separate cheques ready: a $215 registration fee, the regular petition filing fees due later this spring, and the new premium-processing surcharge if accelerated review is desired.
