New $1,000 “Immigration Parole Fee” for Some Parolees, Beginning October 16, 2025

Effective October 16, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began imposing a $1,000 fee for individuals paroled into the U.S., or are physically in the U.S. and are granted parole or re-parole, unless they qualify for one of ten (10) specified exceptions. For applicants subject to the fee and who are not exempt, payment is collected either by USCIS—through a “Pay Now” notice issued before approval for cases filed within the U.S.—or by CBP at a port of entry during inspection for those seeking parole from abroad. 

This parole fee applies to most parole grants, including: 

• parole-in-place,  

• re-parole, and  

• humanitarian parole (e.g., CHNV Humanitarian Parole; Uniting for Ukraine (U4U); Family Reunification Parole (FRP)) 

However, it should not apply to employees re-entering the U.S. on Advance Parole tied to a pending Adjustment of Status (Form I-485). If an advance parole document is based on a pending Form I-485, the AP document will show the category “C09P”. 

This fee should not apply to any foreign nationals using either a green card or nonimmigrant visa for admission. It is exclusively meant for those using parole. 

Applicants for adjustment of status have reported receiving notices in their online accounts, advising them as to the new fee and the exemptions. 

The 10 statutory exceptions to the parole $1,000 fee: 

1. Medical emergency (no adequate treatment abroad; or life-threatening, and normal visa processing would be too slow); 

2. Parent/guardian accompanying a minor under exception (1) above; 

3. Urgent organ or tissue donor, and normal visa processing would be too slow; 

4. Visiting a close family member whose death is imminent, and normal visa processing would be too slow; 

5. Attending an urgent funeral of a “close family member”, and normal visa processing would be too slow; 

6. Adopted child with urgent medical condition needing treatment, and awaiting final adoption-visa issuance; 

7. Adjustment-of-status (I-485) applicant, returning from temporary travel abroad (Advance Parole); 

8. Returning to U.S. under the “Remain in Mexico” policy, to attend their own  immigration hearing; 

9. Cuban or Haitian entrant as defined under federal law; or 

10. Law-enforcement or significant public-benefit parolee, where DHS finds that the individual’s presence benefits a U.S. investigation or prosecution. 

Federal Register Notice (published 10/16/2025): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/10/16/2025-19564/immigration-parole-fee-required-by-hr-1-reconciliation-bill 

USCIS website alert: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-implements-new-immigration-parole-fee-required-by-hr-1