US Rolls Out New Fees for Asylum and Work Permits Starting July 22
Brace yourselves, immigrants and asylum seekers — the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is shaking up the fee structure for several immigration forms, effective July 22, 2025. If you’ve been planning to file or renew your asylum or work permit applications, expect to dig a little deeper into your pockets.
The changes come under the H.R. 1 Reconciliation Bill and were outlined in a Federal Register notice released on July 18, 2025. Starting from the 22nd, any immigration forms submitted with outdated fees simply won’t make the cut—they’ll be rejected beginning August 21.
One of the headline changes is a new $100 charge for Form I-589, the application for asylum or withholding of removal. On top of that, applicants with asylum cases still pending must pony up an Annual Asylum Fee (AAF) of $100 every calendar year until a decision is reached. Talk about paying for the wait!
Work permit applicants aren’t spared either. The Form I-765 fee has jumped, with initial Employment Authorization Document (EAD) requests costing $550. Renewals or extensions are now set at $275. Also, if you’re filing after re-parole approval through Form I-131, brace for a $275 fee there as well.
Other updates include a $250 fee for those applying under the Special Immigrant Juvenile category via Form I-360—new for those young dreamers.
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) applicants face the steepest hike: the registration fee shoots up dramatically from $50 to $500.
USCIS is clear: these extra fees are fresh mandates under H.R. 1 and won’t be waived, even if you qualify for existing fee exemptions. So, no fee waivers here, folks.
Starting October 1, 2024, asylum applicants will begin paying that Annual Asylum Fee one year after filing and every year thereafter, as long as their application is in limbo.
The new rules also tighten up the validity of work permits. EADs granted to parolees will last no longer than one year or the parole period—whichever comes first. TPS recipients will similarly receive work permits valid for one year or the length of their TPS designation.
USCIS hinted more fee adjustments are on their way for forms like I-131 (Travel Document) and I-102 (Replacement Nonimmigrant Document), so keep an eye out.
For now, if you’re in the immigration queue, make sure your wallet’s ready for these updates—or risk having your paperwork tossed aside.
