Did You Miss the Deadline to Pay the Annual Asylum Fee? USCIS Has Reopened the Payment Portal

If you have a pending asylum application in the United States and received a notice to pay the Annual Asylum Fee (AAF), there is an important update you should know about.

USCIS announced that it has reopened its payment portal to allow certain payments that remained outstanding after the payment deadline listed in the notice had passed.

This means that some individuals who attempted to make a late payment and found that the system was no longer accepting payments may now have a new opportunity to bring their account up to date.

However, it is important to understand exactly what has changed, who may be affected, and what this measure means for an asylum case.

What Is the Annual Asylum Fee?

The Annual Asylum Fee is a payment established for certain asylum applications that remain pending.

USCIS explains that individuals who had a pending asylum application throughout the period between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, are subject to this fee.

In addition, for applications filed after October 1, 2024, USCIS indicates that the fee may become due when the application has been pending for 365 days and on each subsequent anniversary while it remains pending.

USCIS sends individual notices indicating when the payment is due, the applicable amount, and the instructions for making the payment.

Therefore, you should not assume that everyone with a pending asylum case must immediately make the same payment. It is essential to review the notice you received and the specific circumstances of your case.

What Problem Did Some People Experience?

After USCIS began sending the corresponding notices, some individuals did not make the payment within the established deadline.

There can be many reasons for this: not checking their mail, not understanding the notice, not realizing the importance of the payment, or simply missing the deadline.

The problem arose when they attempted to make the payment after the deadline had passed.

In some cases, the USCIS portal no longer allowed them to complete the transaction because the payment period had expired.

This created a concerning situation: the individual had an outstanding payment, wanted to make it, but the system no longer allowed them to do so.

What Has Changed Now?

Here is the most important update.

On August 5, 2026, a federal court temporarily suspended the enforcement of certain consequences related to failure to pay the Annual Asylum Fee.

As a result of that order, USCIS officially announced that it is allowing asylum applicants who missed their payment deadline to pay the fee while a final decision is pending in the judicial proceedings.

USCIS also confirmed that it reopened the payment portal for cases with outstanding payments.

In simple terms:

If you received a notice to pay the Annual Asylum Fee, missed the deadline, and the system previously did not allow you to make the payment, review your situation again because the payment portal has been reopened for outstanding payments.

Does This Mean the Fee Has Been Eliminated?

No.

This point is very important.

The court's decision does not mean that the Annual Asylum Fee has been eliminated.

What currently exists is a temporary suspension of certain consequences for failure to pay while the judicial proceedings continue.

Therefore, a person who has an outstanding payment obligation should not interpret this situation as authorization to ignore it.

Does Paying the Fee Guarantee That My Asylum Case Will Be Approved?

No.

The Annual Asylum Fee is an administrative matter related to a pending application. Making the payment does not mean that USCIS will approve the asylum case.

The decision on an asylum application depends on the facts, evidence, legal requirements, and individual circumstances of each case.

What the payment does, when applicable, is address the specific obligation associated with the fee.

What Should You Do If You Missed the Deadline?

If you have a pending asylum case and remember receiving a notice related to this fee, do not ignore it.

Find your USCIS notice and carefully verify:

• your case number;

• the date indicated in the notice;

• whether the payment is still outstanding;

• the official instructions for making the payment; and

• that you are using the official portal applicable to your case.

  
  

If you previously attempted to make the payment and received a message indicating that the payment period had expired, it is worth checking the official USCIS portal again, since the agency has confirmed that it was reopened for cases with outstanding payments.

It is also recommended that you keep the payment receipt after making any payment.

Important: Not All Asylum Cases Are Handled the Same Way

There is an important distinction between cases being processed by USCIS and those pending before the Immigration Court (EOIR).

The instructions and payment portals may be different.

Therefore, before making a payment, confirm which agency has jurisdiction over your case and follow the applicable instructions. If you are unsure whether the fee applies to your situation, consult an immigration attorney before making a decision.

Do Not Ignore Immigration Notices

This situation highlights an important lesson for anyone with a pending immigration process: USCIS or Immigration Court notices should be reviewed as soon as they arrive.

A letter that may appear to be simply administrative can contain a deadline, a requirement, or an important instruction for your case.

Keep your address up to date, check your mail regularly, and keep copies of notices and payment receipts related to your case.

If You Missed the Payment Deadline, Now Is the Time to Review Your Case

The reopening of the payment portal represents an important opportunity for individuals who had an outstanding Annual Asylum Fee and were previously unable to make the payment after the deadline had passed.

But remember: the fee has not been eliminated, the legal situation is still developing, and paying the fee does not mean that your asylum case has been approved.

If you received a payment notice, missed the deadline, or do not know whether this obligation applies to your case, review your documentation and seek legal guidance before allowing more time to pass.

At Inmigración OK Abogados, we can help you review your immigration situation, understand the notices you have received, and determine the appropriate next steps for your case.

Do not ignore a notice related to your asylum case. Understanding it in time can help prevent unnecessary problems.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every immigration case involves individual circumstances and should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.