If you have an asylum case pending, are applying for a work permit, or are seeking Temporary Protected Status (TPS), recent fee changes will affect you. At Anwari Law Firm, PC, we have spent 18 years guiding immigrants and their families through every shift in U.S. immigration law, and these latest changes are some of the most significant we have seen in years.

Below is a clear summary of what is changing, who is affected, and what you should do next.

Annual Asylum Fee: $102 Per Year

For the first time, both the immigration courts and USCIS are charging an annual asylum fee of $102 if your asylum case has been pending for more than one year. This fee was previously paused because of a lawsuit, but as of February 2026, that pause has ended.

Key points to know:

  • The fee is $102 per application, not per person. A family of four included on one I-589 still pays $102 total.
  • USCIS will give you 30 days to pay once you receive a notice. Immigration judges can set much shorter deadlines, sometimes as short as one day.
  • Missing the deadline can result in your asylum case being denied or dismissed.
  • There is no fee waiver available.

You can check whether your fee is due on the USCIS payment website using your A-number and asylum receipt number. Immigration court applicants pay through the EOIR online payment system.

$100 Filing Fee for New Asylum Applications

Filing a new asylum application (Form I-589) now costs $100. Before this change, asylum applications were free.

Important details:

  • The fee is $100 per application, not per person. Spouses and children included on your case do not pay extra.
  • There is no fee waiver.
  • If you file in immigration court, you must pay through the EOIR online system before filing and include the receipt with your application. Without proof of payment, the court can reject your case.
  • If you file with USCIS, you pay the fee at the time of submission, either online or by mail.

Higher Work Permit Fees for Asylum Seekers

Employment authorization (EAD) costs have gone up across the board:

  • Initial work permit (asylum-based): $560
  • Renewal work permit: $745 online or $795 by mail
  • Replacement work permit (lost, stolen, or damaged): $470 online or $520 by mail

Fee waivers are no longer available for initial work permits. Partial waivers may still be possible for renewals, and full waivers remain available for replacements.

A new rule also allows some work permits to end automatically after an asylum denial, depending on the specific circumstances of your case. This is one reason why personalized legal review is more important than ever.

TPS and TPS-Based Work Permit Fees

If you are applying for Temporary Protected Status or a work permit based on TPS:

  • First-time TPS registration: $540
  • Initial TPS-based work permit: $1,030 online or $1,080 by mail
  • Renewal TPS-based work permit: $750 online or $800 by mail

Another important change: work permits based on TPS are now valid for only one year, or until the TPS expiration date, whichever comes first.

Work Permits Based on Parole

If your work authorization is based on parole, the fees match the TPS structure:

  • Initial work permit: $1,030 online or $1,080 by mail
  • Renewal: $750 online or $800 by mail

Work permits based on parole are also limited to one year of validity, or the parole expiration date, whichever is shorter.

How to Pay These Fees

Payment methods were updated in late 2025. The options depend on whether you file online or by mail:

  • Online filings accept credit card, debit card, or U.S. bank account (ACH).
  • Mailed filings require one of the following on top of your application:
    • Form G-1450 for credit or debit card
    • Form G-1650 for bank account (ACH)
    • Form G-1651 if paying by check or money order
  • No credit or debit card? You can buy a pre-paid card with cash at most large retailers. Just make sure the card has enough on it to cover the full fee.

Always save your receipt and your Payment Tracking ID. These are often the only proof that you paid on time.

Why This Matters

Even small mistakes, such as paying the wrong fee, missing a deadline, or filing without proof of payment, can result in your case being rejected, denied, or dismissed. For families already facing the stress of a pending immigration case, that risk is simply too high to take on alone.

The rules are changing quickly, deadlines are tight, and the consequences of a misstep are serious.

How Anwari Law Firm Can Help

For nearly 18 years, Anwari Law Firm, PC has helped clients across the country with asylum applications, work permits, TPS, humanitarian parole, family-based petitions, naturalization, and federal court litigation. We understand the agencies, the procedures, and the policies behind every fee notice, and we know how to protect our clients when the rules change without warning.

If you have questions about how these new fees affect your case, need help filing, or have received a notice and are not sure what to do, we are here to help.

Call Anwari Law Firm today at 703-348-8448.

Your case deserves the attention of an experienced legal team. Let us put nearly two decades of immigration law experience to work for you and your family.

Posted in: Uncategorized

posted on: May 11, 2026

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