The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced an increase in premium processing fees for several immigration benefit requests, which will take effect on March 1, 2026. This adjustment is an inflation-based revision, mandated by the USCIS Stabilization Act, which authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to update these fees biennially. The current increase reflects inflation from June 2023 through June 2025, leading to an average rise of approximately 5.7% across the affected categories. This fee hike impacts a wide array of petitions crucial for foreign nationals and U.S. employers. For most Form I-129 petitions, including popular H-1B, L-1, O-1, and TN non-immigrant worker visas, the premium processing fee will increase from $2,805 to $2,965. Similarly, Form I-140 immigrant petitions for alien workers across employment-based green card categories will also see their premium processing fee rise from $2,805 to $2,965. For Form I-129 petitions seeking H-2B or R-1 non-immigrant status, the fee will go from $1,685 to $1,780. Applications to extend or change non-immigrant status (Form I-539) will increase from $1,965 to $2,075, and certain employment authorization applications (Form I-765), including for Optional Practical Training (OPT) and STEM-OPT, will adjust from $1,685 to $1,780. The primary objective of these fee increases is to maintain the real value of premium processing services, fund improvements in adjudication processes, address processing backlogs, and support other USCIS adjudication and naturalization services. Petitioners must ensure that any Form I-907 (Request for Premium Processing Service) postmarked on or after March 1, 2026, includes the new, correct fee; otherwise, the request will be rejected and returned. This development is particularly significant for audiences in India, given the substantial number of Indian professionals and students who utilize these visa categories.