US Raises Asylum, Work Permit and TPS Fees From October 16, 2026

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will increase fees on several immigration applications from October 16, 2026, covering asylum requests, employment authorisation, immigration parole and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The increases range from $3 to $30, depending on the benefit being requested.

USCIS says the revised charges form part of an annual inflation adjustment to certain immigration fees established under H.R. 1. The Department of Homeland Security said the new charges reflect inflation between July 2025 and July 2026.

What Each Application Will Cost

The annual asylum application fee will rise from $102 to $105, an increase of $3. The immigration parole fee for Form I-131 carries the largest jump among the affected applications, rising by $30 from $1,020 to $1,050.

Applicants seeking an initial Employment Authorization Document (EAD) through Form I-765 will also pay more. For asylum applicants, the initial EAD fee moves from $560 to $570. The same $570 charge applies to initial employment authorisation applications filed by parole and TPS applicants, up from $560.

The fee for Form I-821, used to apply for Temporary Protected Status, will increase from $510 to $520.

Postmark Date Decides the Fee

The effective date determines whether an applicant pays the old or the new fee. Requests postmarked on or after October 16, 2026 must carry the new fee for the benefit being sought. Applications postmarked before that date should be filed with the existing charge.

USCIS warned that applications submitted with an incorrect filing fee may be rejected. That means applicants filing around the implementation date could have their requests returned even when the difference between the old and new charge is small. Applicants should watch the postmark date rather than only the day the forms were prepared.

Third Adjustment in Under Two Years

The latest increase follows a series of changes to US immigration charges affecting asylum seekers, foreign workers and people applying for Temporary Protected Status.

In July 2025, the US introduced new immigration fees under H.R. 1 for asylum, parole, employment authorisation and TPS applications. Those changes included a $100 asylum application fee, a $550 initial EAD fee and a tenfold rise in the TPS application fee from $50 to $500.

The fees were adjusted again from January 1, 2026, following the first annual inflation adjustment under H.R. 1. The annual asylum application fee rose from $100 to $102, while initial EAD applications for asylum, parole and TPS applicants rose from $550 to $560. The TPS application fee also increased from $500 to $510.

Separately, the US introduced a $1,000 immigration parole fee in October 2025. Failure to pay the applicable fee could prevent USCIS from granting parole, adding another cost for foreign nationals using humanitarian and public-benefit parole programmes.

What It Means for Nigerians

Nigerians applying for asylum, work permits, parole or TPS face higher dollar costs at a time when the naira's exchange rate already stretches household budgets. Each filing also competes for scarce forex, so the $3 to $30 increments add up quickly for families filing multiple applications or renewals.