On Oct. 16, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented a new, congressionally mandated $1,000 immigration parole fee. Here, parole means to allow someone into the country who wouldn’t otherwise be admitted, on a discretionary basis.
With some exceptions, the fee generally applies when a noncitizen is granted parole into the U.S. Crucially, it applies even to requests for paroles that were filed before Oct. 16, 2025, if the actual grant of parole occurs on or after that date.
When is the fee triggered and who must pay?
Under the Federal Register the fee is triggered upon the grant and effectuation of the parole. That means the DHS will assess the fee each time a person is granted parole under a specific section of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)§ 212(d)(5)(A). This section allows individuals into the U.S. temporarily, on a case-by-case and discretionary basis, for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.
DHS will assess the fee for initial parole, “parole in place” (allowing undocumented individuals to apply for temporary admission without leaving the U.S.), re-parole/extension or parole from DHS custody.
Further, depending on which DHS branch grants parole, the fee will be collected by different agencies. For example, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will collect the fee at ports of entry for those seeking parole upon inspection to be admitted to the U.S.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will collect the fee when it paroles someone already inside the United States under its authority, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) collects the fee for parole in place and re-paroles that are granted to individuals physically present in the U.S.
In plain terms, most people who are granted parole on or after Oct. 16, 2025 must pay the $1,000 fee. This means that each new period of parole requires a new fee unless an exception applies.
Who is exempt?
The law includes ten narrow exceptions. If DHS determines that your parole falls within one of these categories, you may be exempt from the fee (8 U.S.C. § 1255):
Medical emergencies where necessary treatment cannot be obtained abroad, or where the emergency is life-threatening and there isn’t time to pursue a visa.
Parent or legal guardian accompanying a minor who qualifies under a medical emergency.
Organ or tissue donor needed in the U.S., with insufficient time to obtain a visa.
