US immigration fee hike from January 1: What travellers must know now

US immigration fees 2026: The US will introduce higher travel and immigration fees from January 1, 2026, as part of an annual inflation-linked update mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

The United States will raise several travel and immigration fees from January 1, 2026, as part of an annual update linked to inflation. The move follows the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (HR-1), which requires the Department of Homeland Security to adjust certain charges every year.

 

The changes cover the Electronic Visa Update System, the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation and the parole fee paid by non-citizens who are allowed into the country for a short stay. These fees do not affect every Indian traveller, though those who use parole to enter America will notice a small rise in costs.

 

Parole is a short-term permission that lets someone enter and remain in the United States without a visa, usually for urgent reasons or cases tied to public interest.

 

In a notice published on Thursday, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed that the fee for Form I-94, used to document arrival and departure details for foreign visitors, will stay unchanged at $30 in FY 2026.

 

What changes on January 1, 2026?

 

US Customs and Border Protection said the updated charges will come into force at the start of the new year. The Federal Register notice sets out the following:

 

• The parole fee will increase from $1,000 to $1,020 (around Rs 90,300).

• The ESTA fee will go up by $0.27, rising from $40 to $40.27. India is not part of the Visa Waiver Program, so ESTA does not apply to Indian passport holders.

• The EVUS fee, which applies only to Chinese B-1/B-2 visa holders, will rise by $0.75 from $30 to $30.75. 

 

What is the legal basis for visa fee hikes?

 

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025. It brought together a wide range of laws and introduced fresh rules across different parts of the federal government. For immigration, it fixed minimum fees for FY 2025 and linked future annual changes to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.

 

Beyond the fee hike, the Bill imposes a “visa integrity fee” for non-immigrant visa applicants, and it also increases fees for remittances (money transfers abroad), which will affect immigrants sending money home. 

 

Form-based fee changes for FY 2026

 

The CBP notice also lists revised charges for various forms used by asylum applicants, those on Temporary Protected Status and individuals seeking employment authorisation linked to parole. These are:

 

Annual asylum application fee: $102 (previously $100; currently stayed by court order)

Form I-765, initial asylum applicant EAD: $560 (previously $550)

Form I-765, initial parole EAD: $560 (previously $550)

Form I-765, renewal or extension of parole EAD: $280 (previously $275)

Form I-765, initial TPS EAD: $560 (previously $550)

Form I-765, renewal or extension of TPS EAD: $280 (previously $275)

Form I-131, Part 9, EAD on re-parole: $280 (previously $275)

Form I-821, TPS application: $510 (previously $500)