§1803 Employment Authorization Document Fees

Summary

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must charge a fee when certain noncitizens file a first application for work permission in three situations: when tied to an asylum filing under section 1158(d)(2), when paroled into the United States, or when applying under temporary protected status (section 1254a(a)(1)(B)). For fiscal year 2025 the fee is the larger of $550 or an amount DHS sets by rule. For fiscal year 2026 and each year after, the fee equals the prior year’s fee plus an increase based on the percent change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for July compared with the previous July; that increase is applied and then rounded down to the nearest $10. Fees cannot be waived or reduced. For people paroled into the U.S. and for those with temporary protected status, each initial work permit lasts 1 year or for the length of the parole/TPS, whichever is shorter. For asylum-related applicants, the law requires the fee but does not change other rules here. Of the fees collected from asylum-related applicants, 25 percent goes to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and is placed in the Immigration Examinations Fee Account; USCIS may spend that money without another appropriation, and at least 50 percent of that 25 percent must be used to detect and prevent immigration benefit fraud. Any fees not credited to USCIS and all fees from parole or TPS applicants go into the U.S. Treasury general fund.