The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, has confirmed plans to increase premium processing fees effective from March 2026. The adjustment will apply across eligible immigration benefit requests where premium processing is available and will affect employers, organisations, and individual applicants who rely on expedited adjudication.
Premium processing is an optional service that allows petitioners to receive a guaranteed response from USCIS within a specified timeframe. While it does not guarantee approval, it ensures that USCIS will either issue an approval, denial, request for evidence, or notice of intent within the premium processing period.
The upcoming fee increase represents a continuation of USCIS’s broader fee review and adjustment process, which is tied to operational funding, processing capacity, and service delivery standards.
What premium processing is and how it works
Premium processing allows petitioners to request faster handling of certain immigration forms by paying an additional fee. The service is commonly used for employment-based petitions, including nonimmigrant worker classifications and some immigrant visa categories.
USCIS sets a defined processing timeframe for premium cases, which differs depending on the form type. If USCIS does not meet the stated timeframe, the premium processing fee is refunded, although the case continues to receive expedited handling.
Over time, premium processing has become a widely used option, particularly by employers who need predictable timelines for hiring, compliance, and workforce planning.
What is changing from March 2026
From March 2026, USCIS will increase the fee charged for premium processing requests. The agency has indicated that the adjustment is part of a scheduled review mechanism rather than a one-time change.
USCIS is authorised to adjust premium processing fees periodically, including to account for inflation and operational costs. This authority allows the agency to update fees without linking the changes directly to broader filing fee overhauls.
The increase will apply to new premium processing requests submitted on or after the effective date. Requests filed before the implementation date will be processed under the existing fee structure.
Who will be affected
The fee increase will affect petitioners who choose premium processing, including:
- Employers filing employment-based petitions
- Educational institutions filing on behalf of foreign workers
- Non-profit organisations using expedited services
- Individual applicants eligible to request premium processing
The change does not affect applicants who use standard processing, as premium processing remains optional. However, for many employers and applicants operating under time-sensitive conditions, premium processing is often relied upon to manage uncertainty rather than speed alone.
Why USCIS is increasing premium processing fees
USCIS operates primarily as a fee-funded agency. Application and service fees are used to cover staffing, technology systems, fraud detection, processing infrastructure, and administrative operations.
Premium processing fees are treated separately from standard filing fees and are often used to support broader agency capacity. USCIS has previously stated that revenue from premium processing helps stabilise operations and maintain service delivery across the system.
The March 2026 increase aligns with USCIS’s statutory authority to adjust premium processing fees in line with economic and operational conditions, including inflation.
Impact on employers and organisations
For employers, premium processing is frequently used to ensure continuity of employment, compliance with start dates, and workforce planning. An increase in fees may require adjustments to immigration budgets, particularly for organisations that file multiple premium requests annually.
Larger employers may absorb the higher cost more easily, while smaller businesses and non-profits may reassess when premium processing is used and prioritise cases where timing is critical.
The increase may also influence filing strategies, with some employers choosing to submit cases earlier to avoid higher fees or relying more heavily on standard processing where timelines allow.
What applicants should know
For individual applicants, the fee increase does not change eligibility requirements, adjudication standards, or approval criteria. Premium processing affects only the speed at which a decision or response is issued.
Applicants should be aware that premium processing guarantees action within the stated timeframe, not a favourable outcome. Requests for evidence or notices of intent remain possible outcomes under premium processing.
Those considering premium processing after March 2026 should plan for the higher cost and assess whether expedited handling is necessary based on personal circumstances, employment needs, or travel considerations.
Timing and implementation
USCIS has set March 2026 as the effective period for the new fees, giving stakeholders advance notice. This lead time allows employers, applicants, and legal representatives to plan filings and budgets accordingly.
Historically, fee increases with advance notice often lead to a temporary rise in filings before the effective date. USCIS has not indicated whether any transitional measures will apply beyond the stated implementation timeline.
Relationship to broader USCIS processing issues
The premium processing fee increase comes amid ongoing efforts by USCIS to manage backlogs, modernise systems, and improve processing efficiency. While premium processing provides guaranteed response times, standard processing timelines remain variable depending on case type and workload.
USCIS has maintained that premium processing revenue supports system-wide improvements, although applicants continue to monitor whether higher fees correspond with measurable gains in processing capacity.
What to expect next
USCIS is expected to issue further operational guidance closer to the implementation date, including updated fee schedules and filing instructions. Petitioners will be required to submit the correct premium processing fee based on the date of filing, not the date of preparation.
Employers and applicants are advised to monitor official USCIS communications to confirm exact fee amounts and applicable form categories before submitting premium processing requests in 2026.
