Resources Immigration and asylum
2026 fees, waivers and who pays
What an asylum seeker pays, which fees can be waived and what happens if you pay late.
This is general information, not legal advice: QARAVAN has no lawyers. QARAVAN does not help anyone enter the US and cannot arrange visas, invitations, sponsorship or evacuation. For your own case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the U.S. Department of Justice.
There are two kinds of fees. USCIS sets the regular fee, and you can ask for a waiver if you can't afford it. The federal law H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21) added fees with no waiver, paid separately. Immigration court (EOIR) fees are paid through its portal.
Amounts were adjusted for inflation on October 16, 2026.
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- The asylum application (I-589) is $100, and the annual fee is $105 for each year it is pending. Neither can be waived.
- The first work permit is $570 with no waiver; a renewal is $745 online or $795 on paper.
- Court fees are paid only through the EOIR Payment Portal. Forms are free.
Amounts in effect since October 16, 2026.
Fees for asylum seekers in November 2026
| Amount | Can it be waived | Where and how to pay | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asylum application (Form I-589) | $100 (the principal applicant pays) | No | At USCIS: online or on paper. In court: through the EOIR Payment Portal as the court instructs |
| Annual Asylum Fee | $105 for each year the application is pending | No | At USCIS: at my.uscis.gov within 30 days of the notice. In court: through the EOIR Payment Portal as the judge's written order says |
| First work permit (Form I-765, category (c)(8)) | $570 | No | At USCIS, online or on paper |
| Work permit renewal | $745 online or $795 on paper | Only the regular part ($470 or $520) with Form I-912; the $275 required by H.R. 1 cannot | At USCIS, online or on paper |
| Appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), Form EOIR-26 | $1,060 | Yes, you can ask on Form EOIR-26A | Only through the EOIR Payment Portal |
| Motion to reopen or reconsider before the judge | $1,095 ($950 if it rests only on an application that has no fee); there is no fee for a motion on an order in absentia where lack of proper notice or custody through no fault of your own is shown | Yes: the judge may waive it if you show you can't pay (a sworn statement about your finances is needed). If the judge says no, you get 15 days to pay. Best done with a lawyer | Only through the EOIR Payment Portal |
| Petition for family (Form I-730) | No fee | Not needed | Mailed to USCIS |
| Green card application (Form I-485) | $1,440 on paper or $1,390 online; a child under 14 filing with a parent pays $950 or $900 (Fee Schedule, Form G-1055, edition of October 26, 2026) | The regular USCIS part can be waived with Form I-912 | At USCIS |
For some applications, the regular USCIS fee listed on the Fee Schedule is added to these amounts.
H.R. 1 fees (Federal Register notice of October 1, 2026)
| Amount since October 16, 2026 | Can it be waived | |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary Protected Status (TPS): application (Form I-821) | $520 | No |
| TPS: work permit | $570 first card, $280 renewal | No |
| Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) petition: Form I-360 | $250 | No |
| A person with an order in absentia who is later arrested by ICE | $5,300 (it was $5,130 from December 1, 2025) | Ask a lawyer before you pay |
Tell the two kinds of fee apart
The regular USCIS fee can be waived. H.R. 1 fees cannot, and you pay them separately even if the regular fee was waived or doesn't apply to you.
Pay USCIS without cash
No cash. On paper, pay by card with form G-1450 or by bank transfer (ACH) with form G-1650.
Pay court fees only in the EOIR Payment Portal
Since February 23, 2026 courts take no checks or money orders. Save the digital receipt with its Tracking ID: it is not emailed to you. If you lose it, contact your court.
Ask for a waiver on paper Form I-912
For most forms you can't ask for a waiver online, so form I-912 goes on paper.
For an appeal, ask for a waiver on Form EOIR-26A
You can skip the BIA appeal fee by filing a waiver request on form EOIR-26A.
Do not pay for forms
Forms are free at uscis.gov/forms. Pay only government agencies, and only the way they say.
Pay the right amount
Applications sent on or after October 16, 2026 without the right fee are rejected.
Who pays
The principal I-589 applicant, every year the application is pending; on top of other fees.
How much and when
Currently $105, adjusted each year. It applies to everyone whose application has been pending a year or more since October 1, 2025, and again every 365 days.
At USCIS, wait for the notice but check the page yourself
USCIS sends a notice (your G-28 representative gets a copy); pay within 30 days. The letter may not arrive, so check the payment page in my.uscis.gov yourself. If the date has passed, pay anyway: on August 5, 2026 a federal district court in Massachusetts (case 26-cv-13038-NMG) barred USCIS from penalizing late payment, and the payment page is open to people who missed it.
Pay in your USCIS account
Open my.uscis.gov/accounts/annual-asylum-fee/start/overview and follow the steps. You need your A-Number and the Receipt Number at the top of the payment notice. While a noticed fee is unpaid, USCIS cannot grant asylum.
In court, pay as the judge orders
The judge or BIA issues a written order to pay. Pay through the EOIR Payment Portal: choose “Court – Form I-589, Annual Asylum Fee for Asylum and Withholding of Removal (AAF)” and enter your A-Number. Give the receipt to the court and the ICE lawyer by the judge's deadline.
Know the consequences in court
Under the BIA decision of July 24, 2026 (Matter of L-F-R-), if the fee is not paid on time the court treats the asylum application as abandoned or dismissed; withholding of removal and Convention Against Torture protection are not affected. At USCIS, the federal court ruling of August 5, 2026 still applies.
EOIR Payment Portal
Any status
EOIR's official site for paying court and BIA fees, including the annual asylum fee.
Paying the Annual Asylum Fee at USCIS
Asylum applicants
The page in your USCIS online account where you pay the fee after the notice; you need your A-Number and the receipt number from the notice.
USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055)
Any status
The table of all USCIS fees with current amounts.
EOIR: types of appeals, motions and required fees
Any status
EOIR's list of court and BIA fees (updated October 5, 2026).
- H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21)
- The 2025 federal law under which USCIS charges extra fees that cannot be waived.
- Regular USCIS fee
- The fee USCIS sets itself on the Fee Schedule and that can be waived if you qualify.
- Fee waiver (Form I-912)
- A request not to pay the regular USCIS fee because of limited means; it does not cancel the H.R. 1 fees.
- Annual Asylum Fee
- The fee the principal applicant pays every year while the asylum application remains undecided.
- EOIR Payment Portal
- The website for paying court and BIA fees; the courts do not accept checks or money orders.
- Convention Against Torture (CAT)
- An international treaty that protects people from being sent to a country where they would face torture.
- USCIS
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that decides immigration applications.
- EOIR
- The Executive Office for Immigration Review, the federal agency inside the US Department of Justice that operates the immigration courts.