The US introduced a new fee for immigrants: who has to pay, how much and when
17 October 23:13
The United States has introduced a new immigration fee of $1,000, which will be effective from October 2025. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
The agency announced the introduction of a new fee for an immigration humanitarian password. The relevant notice was published in the Federal Register as part of the implementation of the provisions of the H.R. 1 Reconciliation Bill.
The essence of the new rule
The new immigration fee will be $1,000 for fiscal year 2025. In subsequent years, it will be adjusted annually for inflation. The fee will be paid by persons who receive a temporary stay permit in the United States for another two years, unless the applicant is eligible for a waiver.
As stated in the official notice, the fee must be paid after a positive decision on the extension of stay is made, and not at the time of submission of documents. At the same time, citizens submitting Form I-131 (application for documents) do not have to pay this fee at the stage of submission: it will be required only after the actual approval of the request.
Implementation mechanism
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will notify applicants of the need to pay the fee in cases where it makes a decision to grant or extend temporary residence. Each applicant will receive a separate notice with instructions and a payment deadline. Without confirmation of payment, the relevant permit will not be issued.
According to the DHS decision, the new rules came into effect on October 16, 2025. The agency clarified that failure to pay the fee by the deadline would result in a refusal to grant or extend a residence permit.
Context and position of the department
The Department of Homeland Security emphasized that despite the partial government shutdown due to political disagreements in Congress, federal agencies continue to perform national security and immigration-related functions.
We remain steadfast in protecting our homeland by supporting legal immigration,” DHS said in an official statement.
The introduction of the fee is intended to cover the administrative costs associated with the processing of cases for obtaining a temporary residence permit in the United States, as well as to strengthen the immigration control system.
Read also: Trump to sell US residency permits for $5 million
It is worth noting that these changes in the policy of staying in the country for people fleeing the war with Russia have already stirred up the society. The new immigration fee is being actively discussed on social media.
For example, psychologist and psychotherapist Maria Mezhenska wrote the following on her personal Facebook page:
“I cried with powerlessness when I learned about this ‘great news’. The United States has introduced a new fee for staying in the country for Ukrainian refugees. 1000$ per year per person (including children). The cost of applying for re-parole is $630 ($580 online) per person (paid every two years). The cost for the opportunity to work is $550 initially ($275 repeatedly every year). That is, $2180 per person initially and $1275 next year. Just for the opportunity to live and work.
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