US Imposes $1,000 Immigration Parole Fee Effective October: Who Needs To Pay?

The US Department of Homeland Security has introduced a $1,000 immigration parole fee from Oct. 16, with specific humanitarian and public benefit exemptions.

The fee will be collected at the time of parole approval. (Photo source: X/@WhiteHouse)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has introduced a $1,000 (around Rs 88,000) fee for immigrants seeking parole into the United States, effective from Oct. 16, 2025. The new requirement applies to people already present in the country when their parole or re-parole is approved. Certain categories of humanitarian and public benefit cases are exempt, highlighting the Department’s aim to balance border security with lawful immigration processes.

Who Needs To Pay

According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it collects the immigration parole fee from those who are physically present in the United States and are being granted parole or a new period of parole (re-parole). Effective from Oct. 16, 2025, USCIS notifies eligible applicants when their request requires payment of the fee. The notice includes detailed payment instructions and a deadline, and parole is not granted until the fee is paid within the specified deadline.

Applicants are not required to submit the fee with Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document). Instead, the payment is collected at the time of parole approval, ensuring that only those whose requests meet the criteria are charged. The fee is also subject to annual adjustments to account for inflation.

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Exemptions: Who Does Not Have To Pay

Federal Register notice details a few categories of people who are exempt from the parole fee, primarily addressing urgent humanitarian and public interest situations. According to USCIS, the categories include:

Medical emergencies: Those with life-threatening conditions unable to obtain treatment in their home country.

Parents or guardians: Accompanying minors under the medical emergency exemption.

Organ or tissue donors: Those entering the US to donate organs or tissues, where standard visa processing would cause a delay.

Visiting a dying relative: Individuals who need to reach the US urgently due to an imminent death in the family.

Attending a funeral: Those seeking to attend a close relative’s funeral when normal visa procedures would be too slow.

Adopted children with urgent medical needs: Children under final adoption-related visas requiring immediate treatment.

Advance parole for adjustment applicants: Lawful adjustment of status applicants under Section 245 of the INA returning to the United States.

Paroled for immigration hearings: Foreign nationals paroled back from contiguous countries for immigration hearings.

Cuban and Haitian entrants: Individuals granted status under Section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980.

Law enforcement assistance: Individuals providing significant public benefit, such as assisting US authorities in legal or investigative matters, where a normal visa could not be obtained in time.

Administrative And Legal Context

The new parole fee is part of a funding mechanism for US immigration operations. DHS has emphasised that the fee helps support lawful immigration processes and the operational costs of parole decisions. Failure to pay the fee within the specified due date will result in parole not being granted.

Further details on exemptions, fee collection and processes under Customs and Border Protection or Immigration and Customs Enforcement can be accessed via the Federal Register notice.

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