I-765 Filing Fee by Category in October 2026: OPT, STEM OPT, H-4, C9 and Premium

The I-765 fee depends on your EAD category, and October 2026 brought a scheduled increase, a proposed OPT fee and a premium fee that did not move.

Part of our guide to the H-4 EAD.

The I-765 filing fee depends on your EAD category code, and USCIS publishes every amount in one place: the fee schedule, Form G-1055. For OPT and STEM OPT, no October 2026 action changed the standard I-765 fee, and optional premium processing costs $1,780. If you file while an I-485 (filed on or after April 1, 2024) is pending, the I-765 fee is $260. The initial asylum, parole and TPS EAD add-on rises from $560 to $570 on October 16, 2026. The $70,000 / $30,000 OPT fees are only proposed. Every figure here comes from the USCIS fee schedule, Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26, or the USCIS announcements named below.

Whether you hold a DSO recommendation in SEVIS, an H-4 EAD nearing expiry or a C9 card tied to a pending green card case, the steps are the same: find your code, read its row, and check the calendar, because three federal actions touching EADs landed between September 30 and October 14, 2026.

Status line, as of October 14, 2026:

• In effect: G-1055 edition 10/07/26; the $1,780 OPT/STEM OPT premium fee; the final rule ending automatic EAD extensions (effective on publication in the Federal Register, October 14, 2026).
• Scheduled: the FY2027 HR-1 inflation adjustment, effective October 16, 2026.
• Proposed: the OPT fees NPRM (published October 8, 2026; comments close November 9, 2026).

I-765 filing fee by category, as of October 2026

This table prints only the amounts we have verified against G-1055 edition 10/07/26 and the USCIS FY2027 inflation alert. Where a cell says "read G-1055", that is deliberate. Fee blogs go stale fast, and a wrong number on your check gets the filing rejected, so for the standard amount read the I-765 row of G-1055 directly on the day you file.

Two things the table makes clear. First, the premium fee and the filing fee are separate payments for separate forms. Second, the only scheduled October increase touches humanitarian initial EADs, not the student or H-4 categories most of our readers file under.

OPT and STEM OPT: what you pay today

If you are filing for post-completion OPT or the 24-month STEM extension, you pay the standard I-765 filing fee listed in G-1055. That fee is unchanged by every October 2026 action. The FY2027 HR-1 inflation alert lists only the Annual Asylum Fee, the parole fee, the initial asylum/parole/TPS EAD fee and the TPS fee. OPT, H-4, I-140, I-485 and premium-processing fees are not on it. If you are not sure which code you file under, our guide to EAD category codes (c)(3)(B), (c)(3)(C), (c)(9) and (c)(26) maps each one.

I 765 premium processing for OPT: $1,780

Premium processing for an OPT or STEM OPT I-765 is $1,780 under G-1055 edition 10/07/26, and it has not moved since March 1, 2026. It is requested on Form I-907 and paid in addition to the I-765 fee. It buys speed of adjudication, not a better outcome. Whether that speed is worth the money depends on your start date and how much of your OPT clock you can afford to lose. Our OPT premium fee planning guide works through that decision, and the full cost of a STEM OPT application adds up everything else you are likely to spend.

Community reports of longer OPT waits in fall 2026 have not been verified against USCIS data, so this post does not print a processing time. Check the live USCIS processing times tool rather than a forum screenshot, and see our I-765 processing time by category guide for how to read it.

The proposed $70,000 / $30,000 OPT fees: proposed, not in effect

On October 8, 2026, DHS and ICE published the Optional Practical Training Fees NPRM. It proposes $70,000 before a student's initial OPT recommendation and $30,000 for each subsequent recommendation (STEM OPT counts as subsequent). Three facts matter for your I-765 today:

1. It is a proposal. Comments close November 9, 2026. Nothing is collected now.
2. The school is the legal payer, not you and not USCIS on your I-765. DHS says schools may pass the cost on to students or employers.
3. The current I-765 fee and the $1,780 premium fee are unchanged by the NPRM.

Do not let a headline convince you that "OPT now costs $70,000". It does not. If you want the mechanics, our explainer on who would pay the proposed OPT fee walks through the regulatory text.

H-4 EAD: the fee is stable, the renewal math is not

The H-4 EAD, category (c)(26), is filed on the same Form I-765. Its fee is whatever G-1055 lists for that category, and it is not on the October 16 inflation list. The H-4 EAD is not being rescinded, whatever you may have seen on social media.

What did change is the value of filing a renewal early. The final rule ending automatic EAD extensions (RIN 1615-AD05) was scheduled to publish and take effect on October 14, 2026, finalizing the October 30, 2025 interim rule. Renewal EADs filed on or after October 30, 2025 get no automatic extension, H-4 included. H-4 renewals timely filed before October 30, 2025 kept the auto-extension if the H-4 I-94 was unexpired. In practice, your employment authorization renewal fee now pays for adjudication only. It no longer buys a bridge past your card's expiry date. Our H-4 EAD cost breakdown covers the H-4 fee stack in detail, and the automatic extension final rule explainer covers what the gap means for your employer's I-9.

C9 EAD with a pending I-485: $260

If you file the I-765 while an I-485 that was filed on or after April 1, 2024 is pending, the fee is $260 under G-1055 edition 10/07/26. If your I-485 is older than that, a different rule applies, and you should read the C9 row of G-1055 rather than assume. C9 renewals are also covered by the end of automatic extensions for renewals filed on or after October 30, 2025. Our C09 EAD category guide explains how the card works alongside a pending adjustment case.

Old rule, new rule, what to do differently

The form-edition point trips people up. The Duration-of-Status rule was blocked by a federal court on September 14, 2026 (Presidents' Alliance v. DHS, D. Mass.); DHS has appealed, and the appeal does not revive the rule. USCIS says it is proceeding under the previous regulations, so the I-765 page lists the 08/21/25 edition as the one it accepts. DHS says it will implement the rule if the order is lifted. For now the 60-day F-1 grace period still applies. Our I-765 edition date and filing address guide covers where the form goes.

How to pay the right I-765 fee, step by step

1. Confirm your category code. For OPT, your DSO recommendation and I-20 show whether you are filing (c)(3)(A), (c)(3)(B) or (c)(3)(C). For H-4 it is (c)(26); for a pending I-485 it is (c)(9).
2. Download the current form edition from uscis.gov/i-765 and check the edition date in the footer.
3. Open G-1055 edition 10/07/26 and find the I-765 row for your code. For some forms, the G-1055 lists different amounts for online and paper filing, so check which applies to yours.
4. Check the calendar. If you are an initial asylum, parole or TPS applicant, USCIS says requests postmarked on or after October 16, 2026 must include the $570 amount, and requests without the proper fee are rejected.
5. Decide separately on premium processing. If your category offers it, the I-907 is its own form with its own fee.
6. Pay the exact amount using a method the I-765 page currently accepts, and follow its instructions for packages with more than one form.
7. Keep your receipt notice and track the case online. For OPT, a rejected filing is not a filed one, and your OPT filing window keeps running, so ask your DSO what your window is.

Common mistakes

• Paying a fee from an old blog post. USCIS rejects filings with the wrong fee. Read G-1055 the day you pay.
• Treating the $1,780 premium fee as the filing fee. Premium processing is an add-on. You still owe the I-765 fee.
• Believing OPT now costs $70,000. That is a proposal, and the school would be the payer.
• Assuming a renewal keeps you working past expiry. For renewals filed on or after October 30, 2025, it does not.
• Using the $260 C9 rate with an I-485 filed before April 1, 2024. That rate is tied to the I-485 filing date.
• Filing the 09/15/26 edition. USCIS does not accept it while the Duration-of-Status rule is blocked.
• Traveling while an OPT or STEM OPT I-765 is pending. Do not travel internationally while it is pending; talk to your DSO first.
• Asking the internet instead of the right person. For anything touching SEVIS, OPT or STEM OPT, your DSO is the right person. For H-4, C9 or a status gap, a licensed immigration attorney is. They are not interchangeable.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the I-765 filing fee for OPT in October 2026?

The standard I-765 amount for OPT and STEM OPT is set by G-1055 edition 10/07/26, and no October 2026 action changed it. Premium processing is optional and costs $1,780 on top. The proposed $70,000 and $30,000 OPT fees are not in effect, and under the proposal the school is the legal payer.

Is there a separate employment authorization renewal fee?

No separate renewal form exists. A renewal is filed on the same Form I-765 and priced by the G-1055 row for your category code. Some categories price initial and renewal requests differently, such as the initial asylum, parole and TPS EAD amount, so read the exact row for your code before you pay.

What does I-765 premium processing cost?

For an OPT or STEM OPT I-765, $1,780 under G-1055 edition 10/07/26, unchanged since March 1, 2026. It is requested on Form I-907 and paid in addition to the filing fee. For other categories, check G-1055 and the I-907 page to see whether premium processing is offered.

What is the C9 EAD fee with a pending green card application?

$260, if you file the I-765 while an I-485 filed on or after April 1, 2024 is pending. If your I-485 was filed earlier, read the C9 row in G-1055 before paying.

Will the I-765 fee go up on October 16, 2026?

Only for some applicants. The FY2027 HR-1 inflation adjustment, scheduled for October 16, 2026, raises the add-on for initial asylum, parole and TPS EADs from $560 to $570. OPT, H-4, I-485 and premium-processing fees are not on that list.

Sources

• USCIS Form G-1055, Fee Schedule, edition 10/07/26: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/g-1055.pdf
• USCIS Form I-765 page (accepted edition): https://www.uscis.gov/i-765
• USCIS FY2027 inflation adjustment alert: https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/uscis-announces-fy-2027-inflation-increase-for-certain-immigration-related-fees
• USCIS Form I-907 (premium processing): https://www.uscis.gov/i-907
• USCIS processing times: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/
• Removal of Automatic Extensions for Certain Employment Authorization Documents, final rule (RIN 1615-AD05), scheduled for publication 2026-10-14: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-20955
• Optional Practical Training Fees NPRM, Federal Register, 2026-10-08: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/08/2026-20660/optional-practical-training-fees

Your own receipt notice, I-20 and the G-1055 on the day you file govern over anything published here. This post explains how the fees work; it is not legal advice about what or when to file.

The fee is the easy part. The harder part is turning an approved EAD into an offer before your clock runs down. If you want help with a sponsorship-focused job search on OPT, STEM OPT or H-4, talk to F1Jobs.