USCIS Increases Premium Processing Fees for All Visas: Know the New Fees by Category

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a significant change to premium processing fees, with increases that will take effect on March 1, 2026. These changes apply across both non-immigrant work visas and employment-based immigration petitions. If you depend on faster processing to meet career milestones or visa deadlines, the new fee structure directly affects your immigration planning and budget.

Premium processing is an optional service that allows petitioners to request an expedited decision from USCIS. Instead of waiting for standard processing times, which can stretch into months, USCIS guarantees action in approximately 15 calendar days.

Petitioners request this service by filing Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, along with the applicable fee. However, starting March 1, 2026, the fees for this service have increased to reflect inflation measured between June 2023 and June 2025 under the USCIS Stabilization Act.

Here, our EB-1A green card consultancy has covered everything you need to know about this fee hike.

Why the fee increase matters

USCIS adjusts certain fees every two years to keep pace with inflation and ensure the viability of premium services. The agency says this revenue supports the expedited service itself and broader adjudication operations like reducing backlogs. Our EB-1A Experts in immigration law note that planning for these changes will be very crucial for employers and applicants who rely on timely approvals.

Let’s take a look at a data-driven breakdown of the old versus the new fee schedule that takes effect on or after March 1, 2026: