Starting August 21, 2025, USCIS will begin rejecting immigration applications without full payment of fees. Learn what the new fees are, which forms have become more expensive, whether you can get a fee waiver, and what applicants need to do to have their applications accepted.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced important changes that will affect most immigration applicants. Starting August 21, 2025, any forms submitted without paying the updated fees will be automatically rejected. This decision is directly related to the introduction of new rates under the HR 1 Reconciliation Act. Everything you need to know about the new fee payment conditions in the United States is explained in this article.

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What is changing for US visa applicants?

Starting July 18, 2025, USCIS has published new rules and fees for most immigration forms.

Starting August 21, all applications must include a full and correct fee. Any rejection and the application will not be accepted.

If you are submitting documents by mail, the postmark date will be taken into account. Packages sent after July 22, 2025 must meet the new requirements.

New Fee Schedule for US Visa Applications

On July 31, USCIS published an updated list of fees (Form G-1055). Key changes:

- Biometric fee added for some forms;

- New fees for employment authorization (I-765) under the Family Reunification Task Force (FRTF) program;

- Some applications now require additional fees that are not refundable.

Important! Even if you are approved for a fee waiver, additional fees are still required.

Key changes to visa application fees in 2025

The updated fees affect the most common forms, including asylum applications, work permits, and temporary protection.

1. Asylum (Form I-589)

- New fee: $100 per year (previously free);

- USCIS will send a reminder to pay each year while the case is pending.

2. Employment Authorization (Form I-765)

- First filing: $550;

- Renewal or extension: $275;

- Post-parole filing (Form I-131): $275.

3. Temporary Protected Status – TPS (Form I-821)

- New fee: $500 (previously $50).

- Additional fees for related forms (e.g. EAD) remain required.

4. Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJ, Form I-360)

- New fee: $250 (previously free).

Fee Waiver

The possibility of avoiding some of the costs remains, but with restrictions:

- Use Form I-912 to file a waiver request;

- Some forms do not allow online waiver applications - documents must be sent by mail;

- Additional HR-1 fees are not refundable.

What should applicants do?

- Filing an application after August 21 - be sure to add a new fee.

- Filing Form I-765 (FRTF) - include the fee for employment authorization and biometrics.

- Want a fee waiver - file Form I-912 by mail.

- Additional fees - pay them separately, no waivers or cancellations are provided.

The new USCIS rules in the USA are a clear signal: without the correct fee, your application will not even be considered. Therefore, if you plan to file or update your immigration documents, carefully review the current list of fees (Form G-1055) and prepare a complete package immediately.

The new USCIS rules can be complicated, especially if you do not have experience with immigration documents. To avoid rejection due to an error in payment or filling out forms, we recommend that you contact professional immigration lawyers. They will help you check your package of documents, correctly calculate the fees and submit your application without the risk of rejection.

Reminder! The USA updated the naturalization rules in 2025. We have already told you what has changed in the requirements for “good moral character”, what documents need to be prepared and how the new approach will affect candidates for citizenship.

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