Premium Processing Fee: Amounts, Qualifying Forms, and Refunds

The USCIS premium processing fee is $1,780, $2,075, or $2,965 depending on which form you file and which visa classification you’re requesting, with the updated amounts taking effect for any Form I-907 postmarked on or after March 1, 2026.¹ Paying it obligates USCIS to take action on your case within a set number of business days or refund the fee. The premium processing fee is charged on top of the regular filing fee for your underlying petition, and it cannot be waived.

2026 Fee Amounts by Form and Classification

USCIS adjusts these fees every two years based on the Consumer Price Index, under authority of the USCIS Stabilization Act.² The three tiers for filings postmarked on or after March 1, 2026 are:

$2,965 — Form I-129 for most nonimmigrant worker classifications (H-1B, L-1A, L-1B, O-1, E-1, E-2, E-3, P, TN, and Q-1), and all Form I-140 employment-based immigrant petitions covering EB-1, EB-2 (including National Interest Waivers), and EB-3.
$2,075 — Form I-539 for applicants requesting a change of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2.
$1,780 — Form I-129 for H-2B seasonal workers and R-1 religious workers, and Form I-765 employment authorization applications for OPT and STEM OPT.

USCIS will reject your premium processing request if the payment doesn’t match the exact required amount.³

The fee cannot be waived. Form I-912, the standard fee waiver request, does not list Form I-907 as an eligible form. If cost is the obstacle, standard processing is the only route.

What the Fee Buys You

Premium processing guarantees that USCIS will take some action on your case within a fixed number of business days. Weekends and federal holidays don’t count toward the deadline.⁴ The tier depends on the form and classification:

15 business days for most Form I-129 and Form I-140 classifications.
30 business days for Form I-765 employment authorization applications, and for Form I-539 change-of-status requests to F, M, or J classifications once all prerequisites are met.
45 business days for Form I-140 petitions in the EB-1C multinational executive and manager category and in the EB-2 National Interest Waiver category.

The clock starts when USCIS receives a properly filed request, meaning the underlying petition has all required information, a valid signature, and the correct filing fee.

“Action” Doesn’t Mean Approval

This is where expectations often collide with reality. USCIS satisfies its obligation by taking any of the following actions within the guaranteed window: approval, denial, notice of intent to deny, request for evidence, or opening a fraud investigation.⁴ A request for evidence issued on day 14 fully satisfies the guarantee, even though your case is nowhere near decided. Once that request goes out, the clock stops. There is no new guaranteed deadline after you respond, though USCIS continues to work the case on the expedited track.

When You Get the Fee Back

If USCIS takes no qualifying action within the guaranteed timeframe, it must refund the premium processing fee. The refund covers only the premium processing fee, not the underlying filing fee. USCIS continues processing the case on the expedited track even after the refund is issued.

Which Forms and Classifications Qualify

Premium processing is available for four forms, but not every classification within each form is eligible.⁴

Form I-129 — nonimmigrant worker petitions in H-1B, L-1A, L-1B, O-1, E-1, E-2, E-3, TN, P, H-2B, R-1, and Q-1 classifications.

Form I-140 — all major employment-based immigrant preference categories: EB-1 (extraordinary ability, outstanding researchers, multinational executives), EB-2 (advanced degree professionals and National Interest Waivers), and EB-3 (skilled workers and professionals).

Form I-765 — F-1 students applying for OPT or STEM OPT. Other employment authorization categories don’t qualify, so check the current Form I-907 instructions before you file.⁵

Form I-539 — applicants seeking a change of status to F-1, F-2, M-1, M-2, J-1, or J-2.

USCIS occasionally suspends premium processing for specific categories during high-volume periods. H-2B supplemental cap petitions have seen temporary suspensions when supplemental visa allocations are released. During a suspension, USCIS rejects any Form I-907 filed with the affected petitions; once lifted, filers can upgrade a pending case by submitting a standalone I-907.

How to Pay the Fee

As of October 28, 2025, USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, business checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper filings unless a specific exemption applies.⁶ For paper filings, you have two options:

Credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. The card must be issued by a U.S. bank.⁷
ACH bank transfer using Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, to authorize a direct debit from a U.S. checking or savings account. If your account has a debit block, ask your bank to whitelist USCIS before you file.⁸

USCIS may require the premium processing fee to be paid as a separate transaction from other filing fees. The current Form I-907 instructions will confirm whether combined payment is accepted for your category.³ For online filings, payment goes through Pay.gov using the method attached to your USCIS online account.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1356 – Disposition of Moneys Collected Under the Provisions of This Subchapter
3
eCFR. 8 CFR 106.4 – Premium Processing Service
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Request Premium Processing
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Modernize Fee Payments with Electronic Funds
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions