USCIS Premium Processing Fee Increases Effective March 1, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security has announced fee increases for premium processing services, effective March 1, 2026. These changes affect various employment-based and student visa categories, with fees rising by approximately 5.6% to 6% across all form types to account for inflation.
What Is Premium Processing?
Premium processing is an optional service offered by USCIS that guarantees adjudication of certain immigration petitions within 15 calendar days. When you pay the premium processing fee using Form I-907, USCIS commits to approving, denying, or issuing a request for evidence within this timeframe. If they fail to meet this deadline, they will refund your premium processing fee.
New Premium Processing Fees
The fee increases apply to all premium processing requests postmarked on or after March 1, 2026. The updated fees are:
Form I-129 Nonimmigrant Worker Petitions
H-2B and R-1 Classifications: Increasing from $1,685 to $1,780
All Other I-129 Classifications: Increasing from $2,805 to $2,965
This higher fee applies to common visa categories including H-1B Specialty Occupation, L-1A Intracompany Transferee, E-2 Treaty Investor, O-1 Extraordinary Ability, and TN NAFTA Professional visas.
Form I-140 Immigrant Petitions
Premium processing for employment-based immigrant petitions increases from $2,805 to $2,965. This applies to EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories.
Form I-539 Change/Extension of Status
Student Status Applications (F-1, F-2, J-1, J-2, M-1, M-2): Increasing from $1,965 to $2,075
Form I-765 Employment Authorization
OPT and STEM-OPT Applications: Increasing from $1,685 to $1,780
Important Deadline
Requests postmarked before March 1, 2026, require the current fee. Requests postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, require the new higher fee. Submitting the wrong fee amount will result in rejection of your premium processing request.
Why Are Fees Increasing?
The USCIS Stabilization Act authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to adjust premium processing fees every two years to account for inflation. These increases reflect inflation from June 2023 through June 2025.
USCIS states that revenue from these fees will be used to provide premium processing services, improve adjudication processes, address processing backlogs, and fund general adjudication and naturalization services.
How Premium Processing Works
Premium processing requests are submitted using Form I-907 (Request for Premium Processing Service) along with the appropriate fee. The request can be filed with the underlying petition or after the petition has been submitted to USCIS.
Premium processing is only available for certain benefit types as announced by USCIS. The filing requirements, correct service center address, and proper documentation vary depending on the petition type and individual circumstances. Errors in filing or fee payment can result in rejection and processing delays.
Attorney Demian S. Serianni can ensure your premium processing request is filed correctly with the proper fees and documentation to avoid costly mistakes.
Premium Processing Timeline
USCIS guarantees adjudication within 15 calendar days from when they receive your properly filed Form I-907. During this period, USCIS will approve the petition, deny it, issue a Request for Evidence, or issue a Notice of Intent to Deny.
If USCIS fails to take action within 15 days, they refund the premium processing fee. However, the petition continues to be processed, and the refund does not indicate denial.
What Premium Processing Does Not Guarantee
Premium processing guarantees faster adjudication but not approval. USCIS adjudicates cases on their merits, and petitions can be denied even with premium processing.
Premium processing does not:
- Exempt you from Requests for Evidence
- Change eligibility criteria for your visa category
- Guarantee visa availability at U.S. consulates
- Speed up consular processing for immigrant visas
- Accelerate adjustment of status applications
Planning for the Fee Increase
Employers and individuals planning to file petitions should consider timing their submissions. If you can file before March 1, 2026, you may save on premium processing costs. However, proper preparation and documentation remain more important than rushing to meet the deadline with an incomplete petition.
For questions about premium processing or assistance with immigration petitions, contact our office for a consultation.