Annual asylum fee

How much

The amount is adjusted for inflation once a year. Pay the amount shown in your notice or on the payment page.

When it is due at USCIS

• Filed after October 1, 2024: every year on the anniversary of the filing date, while the application is pending.
• Filed on or before October 1, 2024 and still pending: on September 30 every year, starting in 2025.
• USCIS sends each applicant a notice; pay within 30 days of it.
• Only the principal applicant pays; family members included in the application do not. The fee cannot be waived.

How to pay

• At USCIS: online only. You need your A-Number and the receipt number at the top of the fee notice.
• In immigration court: through the EOIR Payment Portal, following the court's instructions.
• Pay only on official government websites and do not enter your A-Number on other sites.

If you do not pay

• The rule in effect since May 29, 2026 provides that if the fee is not paid within 30 days of the notice, USCIS rejects the I-589 and the (c)(8) work permit ends. A court has stayed rejections for non-payment — see below.
• On August 5, 2026, a federal court in Massachusetts (Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts v. USCIS) stayed nationwide the provisions that let USCIS reject asylum applications and start removal proceedings for non-payment. The stay is temporary and may change.
• The fee itself remains: USCIS can still collect it, and while it is unpaid after a notice, USCIS cannot approve your asylum.
• The stay also covers ending asylum-based work permits ((c)(8)) for non-payment. It binds USCIS only, not the immigration courts. Talk to a lawyer before deciding not to pay.