Perplexity
ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
US Announces Fresh Visa Immigration-related Fees for Fiscal Year 2026
In a fresh announcement, the Department of Homeland Security, aka DHS, has revealed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 inflationary adjustments to certain immigration fees in compliance with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR-1). This goes in accordance with HR-1’s requirements that DHS annually adjust all the immigration-related fees according to inflation.
DHS has modified the inflation-adjusted FY 2026 fee amounts for the following immigration fees, as required by the HR-1: The fee for enrollment in the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS), the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) Fee, and the fee for a foreigner paroled into the United States.
As one of the leading EB-1A consultants, here, we have provided a complete breakdown of the fee structure and the analysis of what it means.
What fees are changing, and what are the latest updates?
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), USCIS, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will conduct rigorous assessments of the new FY2026 amount for the HR-1 parole fee on January 1, 2026. CBP will begin evaluating the FY 2026 amounts for the I-94, ESTA, and EVUS fees on January 1, 2026. CBP officially administers a range of fees, including the fees for applying for a CBP Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Records, the fees for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, and for enrolling in the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS).
This revision is taking place in accordance with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which structured immigration fees along with the dwindling market. The statute gave clear guidance on the minimum fees for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, and set the guidelines for the adjustments to the fees in the subsequent fiscal years. The adjustments will be based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.
The newly revised US Visa FY 2026 Fees
Parole into the United States
Total FY 2025 fee – (existing fee): $1,000
FY 2026 inflation adjustment: +$20
Total FY 2026 fee (revised fee): $1,020
Application for CBP Form I-94 at land border ports of entry
Total FY 2025 fee- (existing fee): $30
FY 2026 inflation adjustment: 0
Total FY 2026 fee (revised fee): $30
ESTA authorization
Total FY 2025 fee- (existing fee): $40
FY 2026 inflation adjustment: +0.27
Total FY 2026 fee (revised fee): $40.27
EVUS enrollment
Total FY 2025 fee- (existing fee): $30
FY 2026 inflation adjustment:+0.75
Total FY 2026 fee (revised fee): $30.75
Explanation of all the different visa categories
The electronic CBP-Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record is issued for all arriving foreigners who are legally required to submit the form. The existing fee for this form is not going to change for FY 2026.
Secondly, the ESTA is the online system for foreigners entering the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). They need to obtain an electronic travel authorization via ESTA before travelling to the United States.
Last but not least, the EVUS is an online system that is currently used by nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). This will particularly apply to the people holding a 10-year B-1, B-2, or B-1/B-2 (Visitor) visa, and they need to convey relevant information to DHS prior to their arrival in the United States.
For more news and insights on the international immigration scene, stay tuned to GCEB1. If you have any personalised immigration queries, you can directly reach out to our experts.
Sources & Further Reading
- Dhawan, Sunil.“US announces new visa immigration-related fees for fiscal year 2026” The Financial Express, November 19, 2025.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security.“Certain DHS Immigration Fees Required by H.R.-1: Fiscal Year 2026 Adjustments for Inflation. 90 FR 52085.” Federal Register Document Number 2025-20304. Published November 19, 2025.
- USCIS.“USCIS Updates Fees Based on H.R. 1” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, July 18, 2025.
