United States: Premium Processing Fees Will Increase Effective March 1
January 9, 2026
At a glance
- The premium processing fee for I-140 immigrant worker petitions and most Form I-129 nonimmigrant worker petitions will increase to $2965, from $2805. Fees for premium processing of certain other petitions and applications will also increase.
- The new fees will take effect for filings postmarked on or after March 1, 2026.
The issue
According to an advance copy of a final regulation that will be published in the Federal Register January 12, USCIS will increase the fees for premium processing of certain employment-based applications and petitions on March 1, 2026 to reflect the amount of inflation from June 2023 through June 2025. This inflationary adjustment occurs on a biennial basis and the premium processing fees were last adjusted in February 2024.
The new premium fees are as follows:
| Case type | Current Premium Processing Fee | New Premium Processing Fee | Increase |
Form I-140 |
$2805 |
$2965 |
$160 |
Form I-129 |
$2805 $1685 (H-2B & R-1) |
$2965 $1780 (H-2B & R-1) |
$160 $95 |
Form I-539 |
$1965 |
$2075 |
$110 |
Form I-765 (F-1 OPT) |
$1685 |
$1780 |
$95 |
What this means for employers
Employers should factor the new premium processing fees into their immigration budget.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.













