Overview
- Effective Oct. 16, USCIS will require a $1,000 payment after an approval determination and will not grant parole or re‑parole unless the fee is paid on time.
- The charge was mandated by H.R. 1 and applies to discretionary parole categories including initial parole, re‑parole, parole in place, and parole from DHS custody.
- CBP, ICE, and USCIS will collect the fee, which is set for FY2025 and will be adjusted annually for inflation.
- Exemptions cover cases such as urgent medical treatment, attending a funeral or imminent death of a relative, participation in a law‑enforcement investigation, and temporary return travel.
- The rollout follows declining parole processing and approvals, with a 73% approval rate from April to June, a 58% year‑over‑year drop in Q3 processing, and 410,416 requests pending.