Although the original fee set in the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” for work permits was already seen as excessive, the Trump administration has now dramatically increased it — sparking outrage among immigration advocates and adding new pressure on vulnerable communities.
Initially, the federal government had considered raising the work permit application fee from $470 to $550. But Trump’s team deemed that amount insufficient.
Now, under a new pricing structure quietly enacted this week, any immigrant seeking to apply for or renew a work permit (Form I-765) must pay $1,020 to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This 117% increase caught many by surprise, particularly those who had been preparing to apply under the old fee structure.
Maxime (a pseudonym), a Haitian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holder, had been encouraged by a favorable ruling from a New York trial court last week that reaffirmed the right of TPS recipients to continue renewing their work permits while litigation surrounding the program continues. Eager to maintain legal employment, Maxime rushed to submit his application on Tuesday. To his shock, instead of the expected $470, he was charged $1,020 — more than double the anticipated amount — for a document he may never receive depending on the ultimate outcome of his immigration case.
Other immigrants, including asylum seekers reported encountering the same fee hike this week. Several said they were unaware of any change and had no time to prepare. CTN reached out to USCIS’s Office of Communications for clarification; no response had been received by publication time.
This rapid implementation has sown confusion and concern among both applicants and legal professionals.
The sudden price hike is the latest in a series of policy shifts under the current administration that immigrant advocates say are part of a broader, more punitive agenda. Several groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), and the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HaitianBridge), condemned the increase as an “economic weaponization” of the immigration system.
This is not just a fee adjustment. It’s a calculated move to make legal status inaccessible for working-class immigrants,” said a member of one of the immigrant rights advocates. The government knows that many TPS holders and asylum seekers simply cannot afford the new fees.
The impact of the new fees could be swift and far-reaching. For many mixed-status families, especially those with multiple members filing or renewing applications simultaneously, the cost of remaining in legal status could now exceed $3,000 — not including legal fees, biometric costs, or document preparation expenses.
Advocates also fear a chilling effect: that tens of thousands of immigrants may delay or forgo applying due to cost, making them vulnerable to job loss, arrest, or deportation.
https://ctninfo.com/?p=35669&preview=true
https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-nonimmigrant-workers
