New USCIS Fees for Cubans: Updated Costs for Parole, Work Permits, and Asylum

As of Friday, October 16, the costs associated with applying for parole, obtaining an initial work permit, or maintaining an open asylum case have increased in the United States.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has begun implementing its annual inflation adjustments to fees established by the H.R. 1 law, also known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which was signed on July 4, 2025.

While the fee hikes range from $3 to $30, failing to include the correct fee can lead to costly mistakes. According to an official notice published in the Federal Register on October 1, any application postmarked on or after October 16 that does not include the correct fee will be rejected.

This means that your application could be returned, causing you to lose your filing date.

This guide provides a detailed breakdown of the updated costs for the procedures most frequently utilized by Cubans, identifies which fees remain unchanged, explains who is exempt from parole fees, and offers advice on how to prevent your application from being rejected.

Updated Fees Effective October 16

The adjustments are based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), which increased by approximately 3.36% between July 2025 and July 2026.

Most figures are rounded down to the nearest ten. Here are the new amounts:

• Annual asylum fee (for cases pending over a year): from $102 to $105.
• Parole fee (charged when the government grants parole, including applications using form I-131): from $1,020 to $1,050.
• Initial work permit (EAD) for asylum applicants, category (c)(8): from $560 to $570.
• Initial work permit for individuals with parole, category (c)(11): from $560 to $570.
• Initial work permit for Temporary Protected Status (TPS): from $560 to $570.
• TPS application (form I-821): from $510 to $520.

Fees That Remain Unchanged

Several fees remain the same because either the rounding absorbed the inflation or the law does not allow for adjustments:

• Initial asylum application (form I-589): $100.
• Renewal of work permit for asylum applicants: $275. This fee cannot be adjusted for inflation.
• Renewal of work permit for parole or TPS: $280.
• Work permit linked to a new parole (re-parole): $280.
• Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) petition: $250.
• I-94 fee: $24. At land borders, the total remains $30, as per the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) notice.

These fees are in addition to the standard USCIS form fees. The USCIS notice from July 2025 clarifies that these are extra charges.

For instance, if you apply for your first work permit with parole, you must pay the base fee for form I-765 plus the $570 under H.R. 1.

Before submitting anything, ensure you calculate the total using the official USCIS fee schedule (form G-1055) or their fee calculator.

Another crucial detail: these fees are not eligible for waivers.

The USCIS rule from April 29 clearly states they cannot be waived or reduced, and you cannot request a waiver for them.

If you qualify for a standard waiver using form I-912, you may be exempt from the usual processing fee, but you must still pay the portion under H.R. 1.

When to Pay the $1,050 Parole Fee

The parole fee is not due at the time of application submission but rather when the government grants parole.

This is outlined in the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) notice from October 16, 2025.

CBP collects this fee at entry ports, ICE for those under its jurisdiction, and USCIS for cases it processes.

The fee applies each time parole is granted: initial, parole in place, and re-parole.

USCIS issues a conditional approval first, and the parole is only granted after payment is made.

The law provides ten exceptions, some of which are particularly relevant for Cuban families:

• Those with Cuban-Haitian entrant status.
• Individuals with a pending status adjustment returning from a brief trip abroad.
• Serious medical emergencies, imminent death of a close family member in the U.S., or attending their funeral when there isn't enough time to process a visa.

To qualify for an exception, you must demonstrate your eligibility to DHS. It is not automatically applied.

Annual Asylum Fee: $105 and Consequences for Non-Payment

If your asylum application has been pending for over a year, you're required to pay an annual fee as long as it remains open. Starting October 16, this fee is $105.

If your case is with USCIS, here's how to pay:

• USCIS will send you a notice with the amount, deadline, and payment method, which is online. You have 30 days to pay. Failure to do so will result in USCIS rejecting your asylum application, denying or rejecting pending work permits, and revoking any existing permits immediately. If you also lack legal status, DHS may initiate deportation proceedings.
• If your case is in immigration court: According to EOIR's PM 26-01 memorandum, payment isn't required until a judge issues an order with a deadline. Payment is made through the EOIR's payment portal.

Timely payment is crucial.

On July 24, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) ruled in the case Matter of L-F-R- that failing to pay the annual fee is "fatal" to the asylum application.

However, the BIA clarified that this fee does not affect other protections such as withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT).

This decision impacted a Cuban individual, as reported by CiberCuba.

Steps to Prevent Rejection of Your Application

• Check the postmark date. The new fees apply to everything sent from October 16 onward.
• Add both parts. Base form fee plus the H.R. 1 fee, if applicable.
• Verify your category. Fees vary between initial work permits and renewals, as well as between asylum applicants and parolees. If you have an I-220A, consult a lawyer to determine your category, as it differs from parole.
• Don’t delay renewals. Applications submitted after October 30, 2025, will no longer receive automatic work permit extensions, except in certain TPS cases, a measure DHS finalized on Wednesday. A payment error could leave you unable to work.
• Read your notices. If USCIS or the judge requests the annual asylum fee, pay the specified amount within the deadline and keep the receipt.

For more information on eligibility codes and the process for applying for a work permit, refer to our EAD guide for Cubans.