US Immigration Forms and Fees in 2026: USCIS and State Department Forms, H.R. 1 Charges, the DS-160 and Advance Parole

US immigration forms and fees: the 2026 position for Bangladeshi applicants

US immigration forms and fees decide more cases than most applicants realise. A petition filed on the wrong edition, a payment that is $50 short or a fee calculated from last year's chart is rejected without a filing date, and for a Bangladeshi applicant whose status or priority date is at stake, that rejection can cost months. In 2026 the arithmetic is harder than ever: the USCIS fee rule of April 2024 still sets most charges, the 2025 H.R. 1 legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, layered new statutory fees on top, and those statutory fees rose again on 16 October 2026.

This guide sets out the USCIS and State Department forms that matter most to Bangladeshi families, workers and investors, with the current fee for each. It explains the family and financial support forms, walks through the DS-160 for a Dhaka interview, follows an employment case from Form I-140 to Form I-485, compares adjustment of status with consular processing through the National Visa Center, and explains why advance parole travel became riskier in August 2026. Where our existing guides cover a route in depth, we link to them.

Summary: Most USCIS fees still come from the rule that took effect on 1 April 2024, with lower prices for many online filings. H.R. 1 added statutory fees, including a parole fee now set at $1,050, that cannot be waived and rise each October. State Department fees for the DS-160 and DS-260 are set separately. For Bangladeshi applicants, the choice between adjustment of status and consular processing in Dhaka now turns as much on USCIS discretion and travel risk as on cost.

Key point: Since 13 August 2026, when the Board of Immigration Appeals decided Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, leaving the United States on advance parole counts as a departure for the three- and ten-year unlawful presence bars. An adjustment applicant with more than 180 days of unlawful presence who travels on advance parole now risks becoming inadmissible.

At a glance

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Table of Contents

How US immigration forms and fees fit together in 2026

Three US agencies issue the forms a Bangladeshi applicant meets. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) decides petitions and applications filed inside the United States, such as the I-130, I-140, I-485 and I-765. The State Department runs the visa process abroad through the DS-160 for temporary visas and the DS-260 for immigrant visas, with the National Visa Center handling the paperwork before the US Embassy in Dhaka interviews. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspects travellers at the border and creates the I-94 record of admission or parole.

Each agency sets its fees under different authority, which is why US immigration forms and fees cannot be read from a single chart. USCIS fees are fixed by regulation in 8 CFR 106.2.[1] State Department fees are fixed in 22 CFR 22.1.[6] The H.R. 1 fees are set by statute, adjusted for inflation each fiscal year, and collected by whichever agency grants the benefit.[3] [4]

The April 2024 USCIS fee rule

The current USCIS structure took effect on 1 April 2024. It built the biometrics charge into most filing fees, introduced a $50 discount for many forms filed online, priced the work permit and travel document separately from the green card application, and added an Asylum Program Fee to employer petitions.[2] The official schedule is Form G-1055, and the edition in force at the time of writing is dated 7 October 2026.[2] A June 2026 proposal would raise the N-400 naturalisation fee from $760 to $1,330 on paper and end the reduced fee, but it was not final in mid-October 2026.[2]

Paying correctly

Since 28 October 2025, paper filings must generally be paid electronically, by card on Form G-1450 or by US bank withdrawal on Form G-1650; cheques are accepted only with an exemption. USCIS rejects a filing that carries the wrong amount rather than billing the difference, and a rejected filing has no filing date.[2] For a Bangladeshi family paying from Dhaka, that usually means arranging a card payment, or a withdrawal from a relative's US bank account, and checking the limit before the package is sent.

The 2026 table of US immigration forms and fees

The table below collects the forms that come up most often in Bangladeshi cases, with the government fee that applies to filings made in October 2026. Legal fees, translation, the medical examination and courier costs are additional. On a phone, scroll it sideways.

Two points sit behind the figures. An applicant whose fee-paid I-485 was filed on or after 1 April 2024 pays $260 for the work permit and $630 for advance parole, which were free under the old rule.[1] And the State Department fees for immigrant visas, $325 for each family applicant and $345 for each employment applicant, are separate from the $235 USCIS immigrant fee paid before travel.[1] [6]

H.R. 1 'One Big Beautiful Bill' immigration fees

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Public Law 119-21, was signed on 4 July 2025. It created new immigration fees as statutory minimums and requires them to be adjusted every fiscal year by reference to the consumer price index.[4] USCIS announced the fiscal year 2027 adjustments on 30 September 2026, effective for filings postmarked on or after 16 October 2026.[3] Any affected request that arrives with the old amount is rejected.

The fees that changed on 16 October 2026

• Parole fee: $1,020 rising to $1,050, payable when parole is actually granted rather than when the request is filed.[3] [4]
• Initial work permits for asylum applicants, parolees and TPS applicants: $560 rising to $570.[3]
• Annual asylum fee: $102 rising to $105; TPS registration $510 rising to $520.[3]
• I-94 at a land border: unchanged at $30, made up of the $6 land border fee and the $24 H.R. 1 fee. No fee is charged on arrival by air or sea.[4]

How H.R. 1 fees behave

H.R. 1 fees are paid as separate payments, cannot be waived even where the ordinary filing fee is waived, and follow the postmark date for fees paid with a filing.[2] The parole fee matters most for adjustment applicants planning to travel. The statute exempts a lawful applicant for adjustment of status under section 245 who is returning after temporary travel abroad, so a Bangladeshi applicant re-entering on an approved advance parole document should not pay it, but must be ready to show the port-of-entry officer that the exception applies.[5] [2]

The visa integrity fee

H.R. 1 also provides for a visa integrity fee of at least $250 on the issuance of a nonimmigrant visa, payable in addition to the ordinary application fee and potentially reimbursable to travellers who comply with their visa conditions.[14] The State Department's fee schedule in 22 CFR 22.1 did not list the fee at the time of writing, so Bangladeshi visitors, students and workers should budget for it but confirm with the embassy before paying anything beyond the published charges.[6]

USCIS forms explained: family and financial support

Family cases are the largest source of US immigration from Bangladesh, and they rely on a small cluster of forms. Our guide to the US green card from Bangladesh explains the categories, the marriage routes and the Bangladeshi civil documents the embassy expects; this section explains what each form does and what it costs.

Form I-130: the petition for alien relative

The I-130 is filed by a US citizen or green card holder to establish the family relationship on which the immigrant visa or green card will rest. It costs $675 on paper and $625 online, and the fee cannot be waived.[1] [2] Approval does not itself confer status: it places the relative in a category and, for preference categories, fixes a priority date in the queue. For Bangladeshi petitioners, most delays come from inconsistent names and dates across the Nikah Nama, birth registration and passport.

Form I-130A: the spouse supplement

When the petition is for a husband or wife, the beneficiary spouse also completes Form I-130A, which records biographical details, parents' information and the spouse's address and employment history, including periods outside the United States. It travels with the I-130 rather than as a separate petition. A Dhaka address history that does not match the DS-260 later filed with the NVC is a common source of questions at interview.

Form I-864: the affidavit of support

Most family immigrants, and employment immigrants whose relative owns a significant interest in the sponsoring employer, need a sponsor's affidavit of support on Form I-864. USCIS charges no fee for it.[1] When the State Department reviews it domestically in a consular case, it charges $120.[6] The affidavit is a binding undertaking by the sponsor, not a formality, and the 2026 shift towards closer scrutiny of public charge makes credible sponsor evidence more important than it has been for years.

Form I-134: the declaration of financial support

Form I-134 is often confused with the I-864. It is used to show financial support for a beneficiary's temporary stay, for example a visitor or a parolee, and carries no fee.[1] It does not satisfy the affidavit of support requirement for an immigrant visa or green card.

Form I-751: removing conditions on a marriage green card

A spouse whose marriage was less than two years old when residence was granted receives a two-year conditional card. The couple must jointly file Form I-751 within the 90 days immediately before the second anniversary of residence, with the fee and evidence that the marriage is genuine.[15] The fee is $750 on paper and $700 online, and a waiver of the joint filing requirement is available where the marriage has ended or in cases of abuse.[1] [2] [15]

Form I-829: removing conditions for EB-5 investors

EB-5 investors also receive conditional residence and must file Form I-829 to show that the investment was sustained and the required jobs created. It is the most expensive form most Bangladeshi applicants will meet, at $9,525, after an I-526 or I-526E petition costing $11,160.[1]

Form I-94: the arrival and departure record

The I-94 is the record of a traveller's admission or parole, now generally held electronically by DHS rather than stamped on a paper card.[4] It shows the class of admission and the date by which the traveller must leave, and that date, not the visa expiry date, governs overstay and unlawful presence. A lost record can be replaced on Form I-102 for $560.[1] Visitors and students should check it after every entry.

The DS-160 form step by step for a Dhaka interview

Every nonimmigrant visa applicant, whether a tourist, student, exchange visitor or temporary worker, must apply electronically on Form DS-160 and sign it electronically; the signature is made under penalty of perjury.[9] It is, in effect, the applicant's sworn statement. Among US immigration forms and fees, it is the one most Bangladeshi applicants meet first.

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Before you start

The application times out after a period of inactivity, generally about 20 minutes, so applicants should note the Application ID shown on screen and the security answer, and save regularly. A partly completed form can be retrieved for 30 days from the last save, after which it must have been saved to a file.[9]

Completing the form

Answers must be in English and must match the passport exactly. Applicants should disclose every earlier visit and refusal, list social media identifiers where asked, and avoid answering 'not applicable' to questions that do apply. Once the DS-160 is submitted it cannot be reopened; a correction requires a new application.[9] The photograph must be a recent colour image on a plain white or off-white background, and glasses are not permitted unless medically necessary.[9]

Paying the fee and booking in Dhaka

The application fee depends on the category: $185 for B, F and J and other non-petition visas, $205 for H, L, O, P, Q and R, $315 for E visas and $265 for the K fiancé visa.[6] In Bangladesh, the embassy accepts payment in cash at Eastern Bank cashiers, by BEFTN transfer or EBL Skybanking, or by card. Applicants bring the passport, the payment receipt, the DS-160 confirmation page and the appointment letter to the interview.[7]

The barcode and seven-day rules

Two Dhaka rules cause avoidable cancellations. Since 1 May 2025 the DS-160 barcode, which starts with AA, must match the one used to book the appointment, or the applicant is turned away. And the DS-160 must be completed and the profile updated more than seven calendar days before the interview: any change in that final week cancels the appointment, and a new date may be months away.[7]

Bonds for Bangladeshi visitors

Since 21 January 2026, Bangladeshi nationals found otherwise eligible for a B-1/B-2 visa must post a bond of up to $15,000 before the visa is issued. The consular officer gives instructions at the interview, and applicants must never pay a bond in advance or through a third-party website.[7] Our guide to US immigration from Bangladesh covers the visitor, student and work routes themselves.

The Form I-140 to I-485 process for employment cases

Employment green cards follow a two-stage sequence: an immigrant petition on Form I-140 that establishes the category, followed by either adjustment of status on Form I-485 in the United States or an immigrant visa through Dhaka. The categories themselves, PERM labour certification and the visa bulletin position for Bangladesh are explained in our guide to employment-based green card categories; this section deals with the forms and the order in which they are filed.

Stage one: Form I-140

The I-140 is filed by the US employer, or by the applicant in the self-petition categories covered in our guides to the EB-1A visa from Bangladesh and the EB-2 NIW. The fee is $715 on paper or $665 online, plus an Asylum Program Fee of $600 for most employers, $300 for small employers and self-petitioners, and nothing for non-profits.[1] [2] Premium processing at $2,965 buys a fast decision on the petition, not on the green card.[2] For PERM cases, the date the labour certification was filed becomes the priority date.

Stage two: Form I-485

An adjustment application can be filed only when an immigrant visa is immediately available, which for preference categories means a current priority date.[11] [10] Where a visa number is available on approval, the regulation allows the I-485 to be filed together with the I-140 in a single package, or afterwards with the I-140 receipt notice.[10]

The adjustment package

A typical package contains the I-485 for each family member, the I-765 work permit application at $260, the I-131 advance parole application at $630, the medical examination by a USCIS civil surgeon and, where required, an I-864.[1] [2] Biometrics follow, and USCIS may interview. For a family of four filing on paper in an employer-sponsored case, government fees alone typically pass $5,000 before premium processing or legal fees.

Status violations and section 245(k)

Section 245(c) bars adjustment for applicants who worked without authorisation, were out of status on filing or failed to maintain status, subject to exceptions for immediate relatives.[11] For EB-1, EB-2, EB-3 and EB-5 applicants, section 245(k) forgives violations totalling no more than 180 days since the last lawful admission, provided the applicant is present under a lawful admission when filing.[11]

Changing jobs after 180 days

Once an I-485 has been pending for 180 days, the underlying I-140 remains valid for a new job in the same or a similar occupational classification, under the portability rule in section 204(j).[16] USCIS records the new job on Supplement J, which carries no fee.[1]

Adjustment of status vs consular processing at Embassy Dhaka

Choosing a green card path is no longer a question of convenience alone. Adjustment of status lets a person who was inspected and admitted or paroled into the United States become a permanent resident without leaving, if eligible for an immigrant visa and admissible.[11] Consular processing sends the approved petition to the National Visa Center, which collects the DS-260, the fees, the affidavit of support and civil documents before the embassy in Dhaka interviews. Both routes use the same US immigration forms and fees up to petition approval; they diverge after it.

The 2026 discretion memo

On 21 May 2026 USCIS issued Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199, which describes adjustment of status as a matter of discretion and administrative grace and as an extraordinary relief that permits applicants to dispense with the ordinary consular process. Officers are directed to weigh discretionary factors in every case, even where statutory eligibility is met.[13] Practitioners reported new interview questions, including why the applicant chose adjustment over consular processing and whether family remains in the home country.[13] Applicants who have maintained employment status are generally expected to remain eligible, but those with gaps in status face closer review.

Consular processing through the NVC and Dhaka

For an applicant in Bangladesh, consular processing is the default. Each applicant completes a DS-260 through the Consular Electronic Application Center and pays $325 for a family case or $345 for an employment case, with $120 more where an affidavit of support is reviewed domestically.[8] [6] Since 1 June 2026 the embassy has used two-day processing for all immigrant visa categories: a first visit for document review, fingerprints and photographs, and a second for the interview, usually in the same week if no documents are missing.[8] The USCIS immigrant fee of $235 is then paid before travel.[1] Our green card guide tracks the 2026 scheduling interruptions.

Choosing a green card path

• In lawful status in the US with a current date: adjustment of status is usually the stronger route, especially with a work permit and job portability in view.
• Living in Bangladesh: consular processing through the NVC and Dhaka is the only realistic route, and it is cheaper in government fees, though a refusal leaves no fallback.
• Immediate relative with past status problems: adjustment may still be available because section 245(c)(2) exempts immediate relatives, but discretion now carries more weight.[11]
• Any history of unlawful presence: take advice before leaving the United States for any reason, including a consular interview.

Spouses of US citizens with more complex histories should also read our analysis of the undocumented spouse green card framework.

Advance parole travel while adjustment is pending

Advance parole is permission, granted before departure, to be paroled back into the United States after temporary travel. Adjustment applicants request it on Form I-131, at $630 on paper or $580 online.[1] [2] It is not a visa and does not guarantee re-entry: CBP makes a fresh discretionary decision on parole when the traveller arrives at the port of entry.[12]

Travelling without advance parole

Under 8 CFR 245.2(a)(4), leaving the United States while an I-485 is pending is treated as abandoning the application unless the applicant was granted advance parole and is inspected and paroled on return. If the application is later denied, the returning applicant is treated as an applicant for admission.[10] Leaving before the I-131 is approved is therefore one of the costliest mistakes a Bangladeshi applicant can make, often prompted by a family emergency in Dhaka.

The H-1B and L-1 exception

An adjustment applicant in valid H-1 or L-1 status who returns to resume work with the same employer, holding a valid H or L visa if required, does not abandon the I-485 by travelling, and dependants in H-4 or L-2 status are covered on similar terms.[10] For many Bangladeshi professionals, travel on a current H-1B visa is therefore safer than travel on advance parole.

Matter of Delcarmen-Lara: the August 2026 change

Since 2012, Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly had held that a trip on advance parole was not a departure for the unlawful presence bars. On 13 August 2026 the Board of Immigration Appeals overruled it in Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, 29 I&N Dec. 830, holding that travel on advance parole is a departure.[12] An applicant with more than 180 days of unlawful presence who travels on advance parole may now trigger the three- or ten-year bar. The ruling applies prospectively, so trips taken before 13 August 2026 should not have triggered the bars, and USCIS has said the change applies to the bars generally.[12]

Who is still safe to travel

Time spent as a minor, with a bona fide asylum application pending or while a properly filed adjustment application is pending does not count as unlawful presence for these bars.[12] An applicant who has never been out of status is not affected by Delcarmen-Lara; one with any overstay after age 18, however old, must take advice before travelling.

Mistakes to avoid with US immigration forms and fees

• Using an old fee chart: check the G-1055 edition date and the H.R. 1 amounts on the day of filing; filings postmarked from 16 October 2026 need the new H.R. 1 figures.[2] [3]
• Combining payments: pay each form, and each H.R. 1 fee, separately, so one defect does not sink the whole package.[2]
• Editing the DS-160 in the final week: in Dhaka, any change within seven days of the interview cancels it.[7]
• Travelling before advance parole is approved: the I-485 is treated as abandoned.[10]
• Ignoring old overstays: after Delcarmen-Lara, a past period of unlawful presence can turn a short trip into a ten-year bar.[12]

How TRW and US counsel divide the work

TRW is a Bangladesh law firm and does not advise on US immigration law or represent applicants before US agencies. We handle the Bangladeshi half of the file: correcting birth and marriage registrations, obtaining police and court records, verifying employment, tax and academic records, and documenting the lawful source and remittance of funds, so that every form a US attorney files rests on records that survive scrutiny. US immigration forms and fees are only as reliable as the evidence behind them.

Our global mobility and business immigration practice and immigration and visa services team work directly with US counsel. To review a family, employment or investor file before the forms are signed, contact TRW.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a family green card cost in USCIS fees in 2026?

Filing inside the United States on paper, the I-130 costs $675 and the adult I-485 $1,440, a total of $2,115. Adding the work permit at $260 and advance parole at $630 brings the total to $3,005.[2]

What changed in US immigration fees on 16 October 2026?

The H.R. 1 statutory fees were adjusted for inflation: the parole fee rose to $1,050, initial asylum, parole and TPS work permits to $570, the annual asylum fee to $105 and TPS registration to $520. Most ordinary USCIS filing fees did not change.[3]

Do adjustment applicants pay the $1,050 parole fee when returning on advance parole?

No. H.R. 1 exempts a lawful applicant for adjustment of status who is returning after temporary travel abroad, although the traveller should be ready to show CBP that the exception applies.[5] [2]

What is the DS-160 fee for a US visitor visa from Bangladesh?

$185 for B-1/B-2 visitor, F student and J exchange visas. H, L and O work visas cost $205 and E visas $315.[6] Approved Bangladeshi B-1/B-2 applicants may also be required to post a bond.[7]

Can I change my DS-160 after submitting it?

No. A submitted DS-160 cannot be reopened, so a correction needs a new form.[9] In Dhaka, the new barcode must be updated in the appointment profile more than seven days before the interview.[7]

Can I file Form I-485 at the same time as Form I-140?

Yes, if a visa number would be immediately available on approval. The two forms can be filed together, or the I-485 can follow with the I-140 receipt notice.[10]

What are the immigrant visa fees at the US Embassy in Dhaka?

$325 for each immediate relative or family preference applicant, $345 for each employment applicant and $205 for most other categories, plus $120 for a domestically reviewed affidavit of support.[8] The $235 USCIS immigrant fee is paid before travel.[1]

Is it safe to travel on advance parole in 2026?

It depends on the applicant's history. Since Matter of Delcarmen-Lara on 13 August 2026, travel on advance parole is a departure for the unlawful presence bars, so anyone with more than 180 days of unlawful presence should not travel without advice.[12]

What is the difference between Form I-864 and Form I-134?

The I-864 is the affidavit of support required for most immigrant visas and green cards. The I-134 shows financial support for a temporary stay, such as a visit or parole. Neither carries a USCIS fee.[1]

When must Form I-751 be filed?

Within the 90 days immediately before the second anniversary of conditional residence, jointly by both spouses unless a waiver applies. The fee is $750 on paper.[15] [1]