New Immigration Fees — Including a Yearly Fee to Keep an Asylum Case Open

The budget reconciliation law signed on July 4, 2025 created a set of new immigration fees. Unlike most USCIS fees, these are minimum fees set by statute and there is no fee waiver — hardship, poverty, and inability to pay are not exceptions.

The main ones: $100 to file an asylum application, plus roughly $100 for every year the application remains pending; $550 for a first work permit based on a pending asylum application, parole, or TPS; and $275 to renew one. The amounts rise annually with inflation — the annual asylum fee was $102 for fiscal year 2026, and the parole fee rose to $1,020. An asylum seeker who applies for one work permit and waits five years for a decision can expect to pay well over $1,000 in fees that did not exist before.

The Annual Asylum Fee is the one that catches people out. It is due on the anniversary of filing, must be paid online, and USCIS gives 30 days from its notice. Many applicants report the notice never arriving. Check the payment portal yourself each year around your filing anniversary rather than waiting for mail, and save the confirmation and tracking ID.

If you cannot afford a fee, do not simply skip it. Contact a legal aid organization — some have funds to help with filing fees, and a representative can confirm what you actually owe and when.