Premium Processing Fees Rise to $2,965 on March 1; TPS Updates for Ethiopia, Haiti, Yemen

USCIS has announced that premium processing fees will increase effective March 1, 2026. For EB-3 petitioners, the most significant change is the rise in the Form I-140 premium processing fee from $2,805 to $2,965 — an increase of $160. Employers who rely on premium processing to expedite green card sponsorship timelines should update cost projections and secure internal approvals before the deadline. Filings postmarked on or after March 1, 2026 will be subject to the new fee schedule. EB-3 sponsors planning imminent I-140 filings may wish to submit before the cutoff date to take advantage of the current lower fee, provided all documentation is ready. On the Temporary Protected Status front, federal courts have intervened to preserve employment authorization for workers from Ethiopia and Haiti. In both cases, judicial stays have blocked DHS termination orders, and USCIS has confirmed automatic extensions of affected EADs. Employers with TPS beneficiaries on staff should update Form I-9 records to reflect court-ordered extensions and follow current E-Verify guidance, including entering 'March 15, 2026' as the expiration date for Haitian TPS EAD holders. Yemen's TPS designation faces termination once a Federal Register notice is published, after which benefits will end in 60 days. Employers with Yemeni TPS employees should monitor for that publication date and prepare contingency workforce plans accordingly. A separate ruling out of Massachusetts limited ICE enforcement at certain churches involved in litigation. While this ruling has no direct impact on EB-3 processing, faith-based employers and nonprofits that sponsor EB-3 workers should ensure internal protocols are in place for any potential enforcement scenarios.