US To Hike Premium Processing Fee For H-1B Visa: Know All About It

The Department of Homeland Security (DoH) has decided upon increasing the premium processing fees that US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) charges for several visa categories, including H-1B visa with effect from March 1, 2026.

The USCIS Stabilisation Act established the authority for DHS to adjust premium processing fees every two years to account for inflation, according to the USCIS.

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Fees will continue to be adjusted agencywide to account for inflation and protect the real dollar value of the premium processing service we provide. The revenue generated by this fee increase will be used to provide premium processing services; make improvements to adjudication processes; respond to adjudication demands, including processing backlogs; and otherwise fund USCIS adjudication and naturalization services," the USCIS noted.

"If you submit a request for premium processing postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, you must include the new fee for the specific benefit you are requesting," it said.

The increase in this fee has raised the current applicable amount of $2,805 to $2,965, while submitting Form I-907 to request for premium processing. This will impact other visa categories, including E-1, E-2, E-3, H-3, L-1A, L-1B, LZ O-1, O-2 P-1, P-1S, P-2,  P-2S, P-3, P-3S, Q-1, TN-1 and TN-2 visas.

Meanwhile, the visa fee applicable with Form I-129 for Nonimmigrant Worker, H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant status has been increased from $1,685 to $1,780.