Introduction
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced USCIS inflation-adjusted fee increases for a set of immigration benefit applications tied to H.R. 1, effective October 16, 2026. Published in the Federal Register on July 22, 2025, the notice identifies four specific fee categories. They will increase modestly for fiscal year 2027, reflecting inflation measured from July 2025 through July 2026. For applicants filing on or after the effective date, submitting the previous fee amount will result in automatic rejection. Awareness of these FY 2027 H.R. 1 fee increases is a practical necessity for anyone with a pending or upcoming filing in the affected categories.
Background on USCIS Inflation-Adjusted Fee Increases
H.R. 1 introduced these specific fee categories. It established a framework requiring the Department of Homeland Security to adjust certain immigration-related fees annually for inflation beginning in fiscal year 2026. The July 22, 2025 Federal Register notice marked the initial implementation of that mechanism. The current announcement represents the continuation of that process for FY 2027, the second such annual adjustment. This fee structure applies only to a defined set of benefit types established under H.R. 1. It is separate from the broader USCIS fee schedule that governs most other immigration filings.
What Is Changing in the USCIS Inflation-Adjusted Fee Increases
Four fee categories are increasing as of October 16, 2026. The Annual Asylum Application Fee moves from $102 to $105. The immigration parole fee filed on Form I-131 increases from $1,020 to $1,050. Form I-765, the Application for Employment Authorization, increases from $560 to $570. This applies only to three specific initial EAD categories: asylum applicant EADs, parole EADs, and Temporary Protected Status EADs. Finally, Form I-821, the Application for Temporary Protected Status, increases from $510 to $520.
USCIS characterizes these adjustments as minor, reflecting inflation over the one-year measurement period from July 2025 through July 2026. The increases range from approximately $3 to $30 depending on the form. The rationale is straightforward: H.R. 1 requires annual inflation adjustments so these fees keep their real value over time. This notice satisfies that statutory requirement for FY 2027.
USCIS FY 2027 Inflation Adjustment — Updated Fees
USCIS is raising four fees created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to account for inflation from July 2025 through July 2026. The new amounts apply to requests postmarked on or after October 16, 2026. Requests that arrive with the old fee will be rejected.
| Form / fee | Previous fee | New fee | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Asylum Application Fee | $102 | $105 | +$3 (+2.9%) |
| Form I-131 — Immigration Parole Fee | $1,020 | $1,050 | +$30 (+2.9%) |
| Form I-765 — Initial EAD (Asylum / Parole / TPS) | $560 | $570 | +$10 (+1.8%) |
| Form I-821 — Temporary Protected Status | $510 | $520 | +$10 (+2.0%) |
Source: USCIS news alert, September 30, 2026 — USCIS Announces FY 2027 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related Fees. See also the Federal Register notice. Percentage changes are calculated by Immigration Professional Association and rounded to one decimal.
Who Is Affected
The fee changes directly affect four categories of applicants. Individuals who have filed or are preparing to file an asylum application and owe the annual asylum fee will pay the new $105 amount. This applies if they postmark their submission on or after October 16, 2026. Individuals applying for immigration parole through Form I-131 face the $1,050 parole fee under the same timing rule. Applicants seeking an initial EAD in the asylum applicant, parole, or TPS categories will encounter the adjusted Form I-765 fee of $570. Applicants filing Form I-821 for Temporary Protected Status will owe the new $520 fee, including re-registrants where applicable.
Employers who sponsor or assist employees in navigating TPS-related filings or parole-based work authorization should also take note. Incorrect fees submitted on behalf of those workers will result in rejection regardless of who prepared the filing. These increases do not affect applicants who submitted filings before October 16, 2026, because the postmark date controls. This particular adjustment does not affect other USCIS forms and fees that the Federal Register notice does not list.
Practical Implications of USCIS Inflation-Adjusted Fee Increases
The most immediate practical consequence of this update is the hard rejection rule. USCIS will not accept filings postmarked on or after October 16, 2026 that include the prior fee amounts. There is no grace period and no opportunity to submit a fee supplement after the fact. A rejected filing means starting over, which can have significant downstream consequences for work authorization continuity, travel document validity, or TPS status maintenance.
For applicants and preparers working on filings in any of the four affected categories, verifying the correct fee at the time of preparation, not drafting, is essential. Fee tables in older filing instruction packets, attorney office templates, or third-party preparation guides may still reflect pre-October 2026 figures. Do not use them without confirming they match the current notice.
For TPS applicants in particular, the overlap between Form I-821 and Form I-765 is common: many filers submit both simultaneously. Both forms carry adjusted fees, and a combined filing must include the correct amount for each form separately. An error on either fee is sufficient to cause rejection of the entire package.
The increases themselves are modest. At most $30 for any single adjustment, the financial impact for most filers is not the primary concern. Submitting an incorrect fee poses the more significant procedural risk. This is especially true for applicants with urgent employment authorization or travel needs where a rejected and re-filed application could cause gaps in status documentation.
What to Watch For Next
The current adjustment covers FY 2027. H.R. 1 directs DHS to continue making annual inflation-based adjustments in each subsequent fiscal year. You should anticipate a comparable notice for FY 2028. Applicants and legal practitioners who manage recurring filings in these categories, particularly TPS holders who re-register annually, should treat the late-summer Federal Register publication cycle as a routine checkpoint to verify applicable fees before each filing season.
USCIS has not indicated that the forms or fee categories subject to this mechanism will expand. Stakeholders should still monitor the Federal Register for any future H.R. 1 implementation guidance that could broaden or modify the scope of the inflation-adjustment requirement.
How Immigration Professional Association Can Help
At Immigration Professional Association, we work directly with asylum applicants, TPS holders, parolees, and their families on exactly the types of filings affected by this update, from initial EAD applications to TPS re-registration and parole-based travel document submissions. Fee errors are among the most preventable causes of filing rejection, and they are entirely avoidable with proper preparation.
Our team stays current on Federal Register notices and USCIS fee updates as the agency publishes them. Our clients’ filings reflect accurate fee amounts, complete supporting documentation, and correct postmark timing. If you have a pending Form I-821, Form I-765, or Form I-131 filing, or you are approaching a TPS re-registration deadline, we encourage you to reach out to Immigration Professional Association before October 16, 2026. That way you can prepare your submission correctly under the new FY 2027 fee schedule.
