The United States will increase several immigration and border-related fees starting January 1, 2026. The Department of Homeland Security announced these changes as part of the yearly adjustments required under the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” officially known as HR-1. The law directs DHS to align specific fees with inflation every year.
Travellers using certain services will see slightly higher costs in 2026. The parole fee will rise from $1,000 to $1,020. Foreign nationals request parole to enter and stay in the US temporarily without applying for a visa or gaining official admission status. The Immigration and Nationality Act allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant parole for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
The Electronic System for Travel Authorisation fee will also increase by $0.27, from $40 to $40.27. ESTA applies only to citizens of countries in the US Visa Waiver Program, so visitors from India will not face this change. The Electronic Visa Update System fee will increase from $30 to $30.75 and affects only Chinese travellers with B-1 or B-2 visas.
The Form I-94 application fee will stay at $30. DHS confirmed that this charge will remain unchanged for the next fiscal year.
