What the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Really Means for Immigration Applicants
- Daniel Shaffer, Esq.
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
A new piece of legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, has generated a wave of headlines, many of them overstated. While the law introduces new fees in select areas of the immigration system and massive funding for immigration enforcement, the vast majority of applicants will not be affected. In fact, for individuals going through the legal immigration process, including employment-based and family-based pathways, this bill changes nothing about your eligibility, your application process, or your chances of success.
Below, we explain what the bill actually does, who it applies to, and, just as importantly, who it doesn’t affect.
What the Bill Does
The Act primarily imposes new or increased fees on a narrow group of immigration-related filings, such as:
Asylum applications and work permits
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) filings
Parole-based employment authorizations
Appeals and motions in immigration court
Certain border enforcement and inadmissibility actions
These fees are intended to offset the cost of processing cases involving humanitarian relief or border apprehensions. Many are tied to specific circumstances such as applying for asylum, being apprehended after a removal order, or seeking parole into the U.S. for urgent reasons.
The Act authorizes more than $36 billion in new immigration and law enforcement spending through fiscal year 2029, including billions for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the immigration judges at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The Act also establishes the Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Reimbursement Fund. This $3.5 billion fund provides grants to states and local governments for expenses related to immigration enforcement. Eligible activities include locating, arresting, and prosecuting noncitizens involved in criminal conduct, as well as court operations and detention.
Who Is Affected?
These changes mostly apply to:
Individuals applying for asylum or TPS
Parolees seeking work authorization
Those in immigration court seeking specific forms of relief
Noncitizens apprehended between ports of entry or ordered removed in absentia
It’s worth emphasizing that these categories represent a very small portion of overall immigration filings. Most applicants pursuing legal status through established immigration channels are not affected.
Who Is Not Affected?
If you are applying through a family-based or employment-based immigration category, this bill does not change anything for you. There are no new restrictions, no added fees, and no changes in eligibility for the following categories:
We continue to receive approvals for our clients across all these visa types, and we are actively filing new cases every week. The legal framework and adjudication standards for these applications remain fully intact.
Our Message to Clients and Future Applicants
Despite the noise surrounding this bill, the core immigration process for most individuals remains unchanged. If you are going through the legal process, investing in a U.S. business, marrying a U.S. citizen, transferring as an executive, or applying based on extraordinary ability, you can continue with confidence.
We remain committed to helping our clients achieve successful outcomes, and that hasn’t changed.
Disclaimer: This post is attorney advertising. It is meant as general information only, and is not legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. We suggest you set up a consultation with us before acting on anything you read here. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes; every case is unique and must be analyzed individually.
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