The EOIR motion to reopen filing fee is $1,065 if the Immigration Judge last decided your case and $1,030 if the Board of Immigration Appeals did, and as of February 23, 2026, it must be paid electronically through the EOIR Payment Portal.1Executive Office for Immigration Review. Types of Appeals, Motions, and Required Fees Certain motions are exempt from the fee entirely, and if you cannot afford it, you can request a waiver on Form EOIR-26A.
What You Pay and to Whom
Two amounts, one distinction. A motion filed with an Immigration Judge is $1,065. A motion filed with the BIA is $1,030.1Executive Office for Immigration Review. Types of Appeals, Motions, and Required Fees These figures reflect fiscal year 2026 and are adjusted periodically for inflation, so confirm the current amount on EOIR’s website before you pay.
The motion fee is separate from any fee attached to an underlying application for relief. If your motion asks the court to consider an application that carries its own fee, such as adjustment of status, that fee is on top of the motion fee. Asylum applications carry no fee.
All motion-to-reopen fees now go directly to EOIR through a single portal. Older instructions that pointed to DHS or to a separate Department of Justice channel no longer apply for this filing.2Executive Office for Immigration Review. EOIR Policy Manual – 2.4 Filing Fees
When No Fee Is Required
Several categories of motions to reopen carry no filing fee and require no waiver request. Check whether your motion fits one of these before you pay anything:3eCFR. 8 CFR 1003.24 – Fees and Fee Waivers
- Motions based exclusively on an application for relief that itself has no fee. Asylum is the common example.
- Motions to reopen an in absentia removal order where you did not receive proper notice of the hearing, or where you were in federal or state custody when the hearing occurred.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1229a – Removal Proceedings
- Motions filed while proceedings are already pending before the immigration court.
- Motions requesting only a stay of removal, with no other relief.
- Joint motions agreed to by all parties.
- Motions filed by DHS.
The in absentia exemption does real work in practice, because a large share of removal orders are entered when the respondent fails to appear. If notice never reached you, the motion can be filed without paying the fee.
Paying Through the EOIR Payment Portal
Checks and money orders are no longer accepted for any immigration filing fees. Everything runs through epay.eoir.justice.gov, which handles fees for both Immigration Court and BIA filings.5Executive Office for Immigration Review. EOIR Payment Portal
The portal accepts debit and credit cards, ACH from a U.S. checking or savings account, and digital wallets including PayPal and Amazon Pay.6Executive Office for Immigration Review. EOIR Payment Portal Frequently Asked Questions Pay before you file. The portal issues a receipt with a tracking ID, and that receipt is what proves payment. A missing receipt or the wrong amount will get the motion rejected, so double-check both before you submit.
Asking for a Fee Waiver
If you cannot afford the fee, you can ask the Immigration Judge or the BIA to waive it. The request goes on Form EOIR-26A, filed together with your motion to reopen.7Executive Office for Immigration Review. EOIR Forms and Fees The form asks for your average monthly income, expenses, and assets in real numbers. Zeros across the board are not credible; the adjudicator needs a truthful picture to decide.
The waiver request must include a signed affidavit or an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury that complies with 28 U.S.C. ยง 1746, substantiating your inability to pay.3eCFR. 8 CFR 1003.24 – Fees and Fee Waivers Documents that help include proof of means-tested public benefits, evidence that household income falls below the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and records of hardship such as medical debt or unemployment.
If the Waiver Is Denied
A denial is not the end of the motion. The immigration judge must give you 15 days to either pay the fee or submit a stronger waiver request, and any deadline on the underlying motion is paused during those 15 days.3eCFR. 8 CFR 1003.24 – Fees and Fee Waivers That cure period matters because most motions to reopen are subject to a 90-day filing deadline. Miss the 15-day window, though, and the motion is treated as never properly filed.
Attaching Proof of Payment to the Motion
The motion package is not complete without either a fee receipt, alternate proof of payment, or a fee waiver request. Without one of these, the motion is not considered properly filed.8eCFR. 8 CFR 1003.23 – Reopening or Reconsideration Before the Immigration Court
Place the fee receipt, including the electronic payment tracking ID, on top of the motion in the filing package. If you are requesting a waiver instead, the completed Form EOIR-26A with its declaration and financial documentation takes that spot. An accepted filing generates an acknowledgment of receipt, which is your confirmation that the motion is properly before the court.