USCIS Announces Premium Processing Fee Hike for H-1B, Employment, and Student Visa Filings

Washington, Jan 2026 : The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced an increase in fees for premium processing of several immigration benefits, including H-1B visas, effective March 1. The fee adjustment is intended to reflect inflation from June 2023 through June 2025.

The revised fees will affect key employment-based and non-immigrant filings commonly used by foreign professionals and students, including a large number of Indian nationals working or studying in the United States. Premium processing allows applicants to expedite adjudication of petitions, providing faster timelines for job changes, extensions, and travel planning.

Under the new schedule, the premium processing fee for Form I-129 petitions for H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant status will increase from $1,685 to $1,780. For other Form I-129 classifications — including H-1B, L-1, O-1, P-1, and TN visas — the fee will rise from $2,805 to $2,965.

The same fee of $2,965 will now apply to Form I-140 immigrant petitions for alien workers across employment-based categories, up from the previous $2,805. USCIS stated that these changes are part of a broader effort to support the agency’s operations and respond to increasing adjudication demands.

Premium processing fees will also rise for certain applications to extend or change nonimmigrant status. For Form I-539 applications, which cover F-1 and F-2 students, J-1 and J-2 exchange visitors, and M-1 and M-2 vocational students, the fee will increase from $1,965 to $2,075.

For applicants seeking expedited employment authorization, including Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM-OPT extensions under Form I-765, the premium processing fee will rise from $1,685 to $1,780. These provisions are widely used by Indian students graduating from US universities to bridge into H-1B and other employment-based visa categories.

USCIS emphasized that the additional revenue generated by the fee hike will be used to maintain premium processing services, improve adjudication processes, address backlogs, and fund naturalization and other immigration services.

The fee increases are expected to have a significant impact on Indian professionals, students, and employers, who represent a substantial portion of H-1B, L-1, employment-based green card, and OPT filings. Premium processing remains a critical tool for applicants and employers seeking faster approvals and greater certainty regarding immigration status and work authorizations.

With the United States continuing to rely heavily on skilled foreign talent, the updated fees underscore both the growing demand for expedited immigration services and USCIS’s efforts to fund operational efficiency.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)