§1803 Employment Authorization Document Fees

Summary

Anyone filing an initial application for permission to work as an asylum seeker, a person paroled into the United States, or someone with temporary protected status must pay a fee when they file, in addition to any other required fees. For fiscal year 2025 the fee is the greater of $550 or a different amount the Department of Homeland Security sets by rule. Starting in fiscal year 2026 and each year after, the fee will be increased for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for July and then rounded down to the nearest $10. Fees cannot be waived or reduced. For parolees and people with temporary protected status, each initial work permit is valid for one year or for the length of their parole or status, whichever is shorter. The money is handled differently by group. For asylum applicants, 25% of the fees go to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and are placed in the Immigration Examinations Fee Account; USCIS may keep and spend that money, but at least 50% of that share must be used to detect and prevent immigration benefit fraud. Any asylum fees not credited to USCIS, and all fees from parolees and those with temporary protected status, are deposited into the U.S. Treasury general fund.