Annual Asylum Fee
Immigration Court Guide

For asylum applicants whose case is currently before the Immigration Court (EOIR).

Immigration courts are now charging an annual asylum fee of $102. If your asylum application has been pending for more than 1 year, an immigration judge can charge the annual asylum fee at any time.

What will happen if you do not pay the annual asylum fee in immigration court on time

If you do not pay the fee by the deadline that the immigration judge sets in your case, the judge will probably deny or dismiss your asylum application.

Who needs to pay the annual asylum fee in immigration court

• If a judge tells you to pay the annual asylum fee or you get a written order, pay before the deadline if you can. The deadline can be as little as 1 day. If you do not pay the fee by the deadline, the immigration judge will probably deny or dismiss your asylum case.
• Check your mailbox, email, and any immigration court online accounts regularly for the order. You may also receive an order if your case is on appeal.
• Even if you have not received an order, you can pay the fee now, if you can afford to and if your asylum case has been pending for more than 1 year.
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• Previously, the annual asylum fee was paused because of a lawsuit filed by ASAP members. But the annual asylum fee is no longer paused.

How to pay the annual asylum fee in immigration court

1. To pay the annual asylum fee, go to this immigration court website, enter your A Number, and select the option that says "Court – Form I-589, Annual Asylum Fee for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal (AAF)."
2. Save a copy of the receipt and your Payment Tracking ID for your records. You can submit a copy of the receipt to immigration court, and bring a copy of the receipt to your next immigration court hearing.
3. If you did not save a copy of your receipt, you can access it later by entering your A Number and Payment Tracking ID on this receipt webpage.
4. If you do not know your Payment Tracking ID, you can access the ID for 20 days after you made the payment by going back to the payment webpage, entering your A number, and again choosing "Court – Form I-589, Annual Asylum Fee for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal (AAF)" for filing type.
5. If more than 20 days have passed, the immigration court says you can try contacting your court to request the Payment Tracking ID.

How to give the immigration court proof that you paid the fee

• The immigration court system has not said whether you need to take additional steps after paying. However, to be sure that the immigration judge knows you have paid, we recommend submitting proof of payment to the immigration court. If the court gave you a deadline on an order, provide this payment receipt before that deadline.
• If possible, provide a copy of your receipt to the immigration judge and a second copy to the government attorney. You can do so by mail, in person at your next court hearing, or at the filing windows of your immigration court and government attorney's office. Also keep a copy for yourself.
• To find the address of your immigration court and date and time of your next hearing, enter your A number on acis.eoir.justice.gov/en or call 1-800-898-7180.
• To find the address of the government attorney (OPLA), use ice.gov/contact/field-offices. Choose your state, select "Office of the Principal Legal Advisor," and click "Apply."

If you have appealed your case to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)

• The government will also charge the annual asylum fee for cases on appeal at the BIA, if you applied for asylum more than one year ago.
• If you are required to pay, the government should send a written order — except it will say "Board of Immigration Appeals" instead of the name of an immigration court.
• Even if you have not yet received an order, you can still try to pay the fee now if you choose.
• To pay if your case is at the BIA, go to epay.eoir.justice.gov/index and enter your A Number. There is currently no menu option specifically for the BIA annual asylum fee. To attempt payment, select "Court – Form I-589, Annual Asylum Fee for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal (AAF)" as if your case were still in immigration court. The BIA should credit this payment if a specific BIA option later becomes available — but the government has not confirmed this.
• Save a copy of the receipt and your Payment Tracking ID. If you lose your receipt, you can contact the BIA at (703) 605-1007.
• Mail proof of payment to the BIA. Make 2 copies. Mail the original to:
  Board of Immigration Appeals
  Office of the Chief Clerk
  5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2000
  Falls Church, VA 22041
• Mail one copy to the address of the government attorney (OPLA) for the immigration court where your case was before you appealed. Keep one copy for yourself.