USCIS FY 2027 Fee Increase Alert: EB-3 Applicants Face Higher Immigration Costs

USCIS has officially announced an inflation adjustment to select immigration-related fees for Fiscal Year 2027. These periodic adjustments are tied to inflation indices and are designed to ensure the agency's filing fee revenues keep pace with operational costs. For EB-3 employment-based immigrants — including skilled workers, professionals, and unskilled workers — the fee increases may affect key forms such as the I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers, I-485 Adjustment of Status applications, and related biometrics or premium processing fees. Applicants with pending or upcoming filings should verify current fee amounts on the USCIS website before submitting any packages. The announcement is particularly significant for EB-3 applicants currently navigating the October 2026 priority date retrogression, as the combined pressure of backlog delays and higher fees adds to the overall cost burden. Employers sponsoring EB-3 workers should also update their immigration budgets accordingly. Practitioners and applicants are advised to confirm the exact effective date of the new fee schedule and to use only the most recent version of each form, as USCIS rejects filings submitted with outdated fee amounts or old form editions.