US hikes premium processing fees from March 1, 2026 — How much extra will H-1B visa applicants pay?
US visa applicants will need to pay an additional fee if they wish to expedite the processing of their application. Premium Processing fees for the issuance of several visa classifications will be increased from March 1, 2026.
Effective March 1, 2026, all requests for Premium Processing will require the new fee, as outlined in the Federal Register. This rule affects all USCIS forms that qualify for Premium Processing. Starting March 1, any Premium Processing request that is postmarked must include the new fee.
When individuals or companies request faster processing of visa applications, DHS takes a fee in addition to the standard filing cost. This is known as premium processing.
