A judge has ruled that, for now, asylum seekers are not required to pay an annual fee for each year their application is pending. The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP).

The so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, which became law on July 4, 2025, instituted a new fee system for people in the immigration system, including asylum seekers. The legislation requires that they pay a $100 filing fee and an Annual Asylum Fee (AAF) of $100 for each year their application is pending. The new law bars asylum seekers from obtaining fee waivers.

This is the first time in the history of the United States that asylum seekers have had to pay fees related to their applications. The U.S. is now one of the only countries in the world to impose fees on as

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