Updated November 11, 2026

O-1 visa fee in 2026: Form I-129, Asylum Program Fee and premium processing

Under the USCIS Fee Schedule Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26), a regular petitioner filing a paper Form I-129 for an O-1 visa pays a $1,055 base filing fee plus a $600 Asylum Program Fee (uscis.gov, as of October 2026). Small employers with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees pay a reduced Form I-129 fee and half of the regular Asylum Program Fee, while qualifying nonprofits pay the reduced base rate and are exempt from the Asylum Program Fee. Optional 15-business-day premium processing on Form I-907 is available for an additional fee for all petitioners.

What are the USCIS O-1 visa fees in 2026?

A US employer, US agent, or foreign employer filing through a US agent starts an O-1 petition by filing Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. Under the fee schedule rule that took effect on April 1, 2024, and the current Form G-1055 (edition 10/26/26, published October 28, 2026), USCIS charges separate Form I-129 fees by visa classification and tiers them by the size and tax status of the petitioning entity.

Every O-1 petition involves up to three USCIS charges: the Form I-129 base filing fee, the mandatory Asylum Program Fee, and the optional Form I-907 fee if you want 15-business-day premium processing. You can compare how these stack up against other work visas in our US visa fee calculator or our guide to the H-1B visa fee.

In the table below, fees are from uscis.gov, as of October 2026, and the mandatory totals are our calculation from the Form G-1055 fee schedule.

O-1 and O-3 USCIS filing fees by petitioner tier (Fees from uscis.gov, as of October 2026)

How does the Form I-129 base filing fee work for O-1 and O-2 petitions?

The Form I-129 base fee covers USCIS adjudication of the nonimmigrant worker petition. Since April 1, 2024, biometric services costs are incorporated into main benefit fees rather than charged separately in most cases.

Regular petitioners receive the lower online rate shown in the table above when filing Form I-129 online instead of on paper. Small employers and qualifying nonprofits already receive a reduced base rate, so their fee is the same whether they file on paper or online. Fee waivers on Form I-912 are not available for O-1 Form I-129 petitions.

Each O-1 petition is limited to one named beneficiary. If an O-2 essential support worker accompanies an O-1 artist or athlete, the employer or agent must file a separate Form I-129 for the O-2 worker. An O-2 petition can include up to 25 named beneficiaries on a single Form I-129. If a group has more than 25 O-2 workers, the petitioner must split them into separate Form I-129 petitions, pay the Form I-129 fee and applicable Asylum Program Fee for each petition, and include copies of all supporting documentation and the labor consultation with each filing.

To avoid processing delays, your employer or agent should file Form I-129 at least 45 days before the employment start date, and cannot file more than one year before they actually need your services. For the full documentary checklist, see our guide to O-1 visa requirements.

What is the Asylum Program Fee and when do you pay it?

The Asylum Program Fee is a mandatory fee paid by employers and agents who file Form I-129, Form I-129CW, or Form I-140. USCIS created this fee in the April 1, 2024 fee rule to help fund asylum processing without raising filing fees as sharply for individual applicants.

There is no separate form or application to fill out for the Asylum Program Fee. Your tier on Form I-129 sets the amount due:

• Regular petitioners with more than 25 full-time equivalent employees pay the full Asylum Program Fee listed in the fee table above for each Form I-129.
• Small employers with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees pay half of the regular Asylum Program Fee per Form I-129.
• Qualifying nonprofit organizations are exempt from the Asylum Program Fee.
• Every new Form I-129 filing triggers the fee, including initial O-1 grants, extensions of stay, amendments, and changes of employer.
• Agent petitioners must also pay the Asylum Program Fee when filing an O-1 petition.
• For both agent-filed petitions and petitions where the O-1 beneficiary is a part or sole owner of the petitioning entity, the Form I-129 base fee and the Asylum Program Fee depend on the petitioning entity's own employee count and nonprofit status.

How do you qualify for small employer and nonprofit reduced fees?

You claim the small employer or nonprofit rate directly on Form I-129 and attach supporting evidence to your petition package. USCIS checks these answers at intake. If your payment does not match the answers on your form, or if USCIS cannot verify your employee count from your supporting documents, the lockbox may reject the entire petition.

To qualify as a small employer, the petitioner must employ 25 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees in the United States at the time of filing, and check Yes on Form I-129, Part 5, Question 15. Follow these USCIS counting rules:

• Combine full-time workers with part-time workers aggregated into full-time equivalents based on their weekly hours at the time of filing.
• Count all current W-2 employees who receive wages with tax, Social Security, and unemployment deductions, regardless of their immigration status, including seasonal employees.
• Do not count independent contractors.
• Do not count the O-1 beneficiary named on the petition unless that person is already working for the petitioner as an employee at the time of filing.
• Count downward and horizontally on your organizational chart: include all US employees of the petitioner's affiliates and subsidiaries, even if they are under different Federal Employer Identification Numbers.
• Do not count upward: exclude employees of the petitioning employer's parent company or the parents of any affiliates.
• If you outsource payroll or HR through a professional employer organization (PEO), do not count the PEO's employees.
• Attach proof of your FTE count, such as your most recent IRS Form 941 (Employer's Quarterly Federal Return), IRS Form 943, or an employee roster showing full-time and part-time workers, average weekly hours, and the conversion to total FTEs. You may redact salary figures on IRS Form 941 if that information is not otherwise relevant to the adjudication. If Question 14 of Part 5 lists a headcount above 25 (or if your IRS Form 941 lists more than 25 people on payroll) because of part-time staff, include a clear calculation showing how the total converts to 25 or fewer FTEs.
• To qualify for the nonprofit rate and Asylum Program Fee exemption, check Yes on Form I-129, Part 1, Question 6. Your organization must be tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), a governmental research organization as defined under 8 CFR 214.2(h)(19)(iii)(C), a not-for-profit primary or secondary educational institution, or a not-for-profit institution of higher education. Attach your IRS Determination Letter or a currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate with every Form I-129 submission. Organizations waiting for IRS 501(c)(3) approval do not qualify unless they independently qualify as a governmental research organization or not-for-profit educational institution.

How much is O-1 premium processing and who can pay for it?

Requesting premium processing on Form I-907 is optional and carries the same fee for both O-1 and O-2 petitions, whether filed on paper or online, as shown in the fee table above. Form I-907 does not receive an online filing reduction and is not eligible for a fee waiver. You can submit Form I-907 together with your initial Form I-129 or file it later to upgrade a pending Form I-129 by including a copy of your Form I-797 receipt notice.

When USCIS receives a properly completed Form I-907 at the correct filing address, it guarantees adjudicative action within 15 business days or it refunds the premium processing fee. Under the April 1, 2024 fee rule, USCIS counts business days rather than calendar days. Adjudicative action means USCIS issues an approval notice, a denial notice, a notice of intent to deny (NOID), or a request for evidence (RFE), or opens an investigation for fraud or misrepresentation. If USCIS issues an RFE or a NOID, the 15-business-day clock stops and resets to day one when USCIS receives your response.

Who can pay versus who can sign is an important distinction. USCIS states that the petitioner, the O-1 beneficiary, the attorney, or the accredited representative may pay the Form I-907 fee. However, the beneficiary cannot sign or file Form I-907 unless the filing category allows a self-petition. For an O-1 petition, only the petitioning employer or agent, or the attorney or representative who filed Form G-28 for the petitioner, may sign and submit Form I-907.

Because O-1 is designated for premium processing, USCIS generally does not accept discretionary expedite requests for O-1 petitions. The sole exception is for petitioners designated as not-for-profit entities by the IRS, which may either request a discretionary expedite without a fee or file Form I-907 with the fee.

What fees apply to O-3 dependents, extensions, and consular visa applications?

Your spouse and unmarried children under age 21 qualify for O-3 dependent status. They share the same period of admission as the O-1 or O-2 principal and may study full-time or part-time in the United States, though they are not authorized to work.

What you pay for O-3 family members and for future renewals depends on where the application takes place:

• O-3 dependents applying inside the United States: To change status to O-3 or extend O-3 stay inside the country, your spouse and children file Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, with the paper or online fee listed in the table above. Premium processing is not available for Form I-539 applications filed for dependents of a Form I-129 beneficiary.
• Consular visa processing abroad: Once USCIS approves the Form I-129 petition, an O-1, O-2, or O-3 applicant outside the United States applies for a visa at a US embassy or consulate. The Department of State establishes visa application processing (MRV) and issuance fees. Prepare for the consular window with our O-1 visa interview questions.
• O-1 extensions and employer changes: An initial O-1 petition is approved for the time needed to complete the event or activity, up to three years. Extensions of stay to continue or complete the same event or activity are granted in increments of up to one year. Each extension, material amendment, or change to a new employer requires a new Form I-129 filing with the applicable Form I-129 base fee and the Asylum Program Fee.
• Peer group or union consultations: Every O-1 petition must include a written advisory opinion from an appropriate peer group, labor organization, or expert, unless you prove no peer group exists or qualify for the two-year arts readmission waiver. Motion picture and television petitions require consultations from both an appropriate labor union and a management organization. Check directly with the relevant union, guild, or management organization for its current consultation fee schedule.

How do you pay O-1 visa fees without getting rejected at intake?

USCIS lockbox staff verify your fee payments at intake before an officer ever sees your evidence. If you submit the wrong amount, USCIS must reject your filing, even if you send an overpayment. Follow this six-step payment checklist written by our team from USCIS lockbox and Form G-1055 rules:

• 1. Never combine fees for multiple forms into one check. Because USCIS uses multiple electronic systems to process multi-form submissions, sending one combined payment for Form I-129, Form I-907, and Form I-539 can cause the lockbox to reject your entire package. Always submit Form I-907 premium processing as a separate payment.
• 2. Separate the Asylum Program Fee if paying by check or money order. When filing by mail and paying by check or money order, USCIS instructs petitioners to submit the Asylum Program Fee on a separate check or money order from the Form I-129 base fee. If you file online or file by mail using a credit, debit, or prepaid card, you may combine the Form I-129 base fee and the Asylum Program Fee into one card payment.
• 3. Use only one payment method per mailing package. All payments inside a single lockbox submission must be the same type (all checks, all money orders, or all card authorizations). The lockbox cannot process packages that mix payment types.
• 4. Use the right authorization form for mail filings. To pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card by mail, complete Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, at no filing fee. To pay directly from a US bank account by Automated Clearing House (ACH) electronic funds transfer, complete Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, at no filing fee. If you qualify for an exemption from electronic payment methods, include a signed Form G-1651, Exemption for Paper Fee Payment, at no filing fee.
• 5. Check the Treasury daily credit card limit. The Department of the Treasury sets a daily transaction limit of $24,999.99 per credit card for USCIS filings (uscis.gov, as of April 2025). Never send cash, and know that USCIS will not redeposit checks dishonored for reasons other than insufficient funds. Under the final fee rule, credit card payments to USCIS are not subject to dispute, chargeback, or forced refund.
• 6. Match your check to your Form I-129 checkboxes. Before sealing the envelope, verify that Part 1, Question 6 (nonprofit status) and Part 5, Question 14 and Question 15 (US employee count and 25-or-fewer FTE status) match the exact tier you are paying, and that your IRS Determination Letter or IRS Form 941 / FTE calculation is attached.

Practice example

Who is your petitioner, how many people do they employ in the United States, and what are the terms of your contract?

A strong, honest answer names your petitioning US employer or US agent in one clear sentence and states whether you own any share of the petitioning company. Be ready to state the exact US employee headcount and full-time equivalent count shown in Part 5 of your Form I-129, especially if your company filed as a small employer with 25 or fewer FTEs or as a startup you founded. Next, summarize the core terms of your written contract or oral agreement summary: your job title, your compensation, the beginning and ending dates of your itinerary or events, and where you will perform the work. Keep a copy of your Form I-797 approval notice, the filed Form I-129 petition, your signed contract, and your itinerary in your folder so you can hand any of them to the officer if asked.

The consular officer is checking that your oral answers match the Form I-129 petition approved by USCIS, that a real US petitioner and qualifying events exist for the validity period requested, and that you know the exact employment terms and company structure on your form.

Related guides

• US visa fee calculator
• H-1B visa fee
• O-1 visa requirements
• O-1 visa interview questions

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.