How Will The Proposed Increase In USCIS Filing Fees Hurt Immigrant Families?
The head of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Alejandro Mayorkas, has announced a plan to increase fees for immigration applications. It is estimated that the average fee increase would be about 10%.
How Much Will Immigration Filing Fees Increase?
Family Based Visas
For many clients who visit any of our Riverside immigration lawyer offices, or those in San Diego or San Bernardino, the biggest impact will be felt in the area of family-based petitions. These petitions are used when a family member wants to obtain legal status for an immigrant relative.
Consider a family of four who seek our Corona immigration attorney services.
The father, a lawful permanent resident who wants to file family based visas for his wife and two children. Currently, the fee to file these types of petitions is $355. Under the new proposal, the fees would be increased to $420. This is an 18% increase.
In the government’s view, a $65 increase is not going to stop very many people from applying.
Permanent Residence Applications
Another application which is important to many of our clients is the application for permanent residence. Sometimes called the green card application, the current fee is $930. There is an extra $80 charge required for the fingerprints. Currently, this equals $1,010. Immigrants are also required to pay for a medical examination performed by a USCIS-approved doctor and passport-style photos.
The new proposal would increase the fee to apply for a green card to $965. The fingerprints fee would only increase $5, up to $85. The total cost for these two fees would be raised to $1,050. The medical exam and photos will remain additional costs for immigrants.
In 2007 the fees for filing green card applications went up 178%.
Many immigrants applying for permanent residence also seek work authorization. The fee for work authorization documents will go up from $340 to $380.
USCIS also thinks the new increase in the total permanent residence package of $80 is only going to deter few people from going forward.
Over time, this might be true.
However, as an immigration lawyer in Riverside, San Diego, and San Bernardino, I know the increases will affect many immigrant families who live on a limited budget and have to save money to pay filing fees for immigration papers.
Naturalization and Citizenship Applications
One bit of good news. The fee to become a citizen through filing of a naturalization petition will not change. It remains $595. In 2007 naturalization fees went up 69%.
How Will The USCIS Fees Increase Affect Immigrants?
These changes may not be as large as the previous price hike imposed by USCIS. But as a green card, citizenship, and naturalization attorney, I know the increase in fees will still negatively affect several immigrant families.
The new fee changes will cause several immigrants to delay the filing of their petitions and applications. The last changes were made only three years ago. The average price increase was 66%. Now USCIS wants to add another 10%. This means that in just three years, prices have went up 76% for immigrants.
Contrary to what the government says, this is a huge increase.
And, since a long backlog already exists, some immigrants who delay could potentially face major legal problems later due to their delay.
Why Are The Fees For Immigration Petitions Going Up?
According to USCIS, the increased fees is needed to close a deficit of $200 million for 2010-11. Currently, USCIS anticipates receiving $2.1 billion in revenue for the coming year. It projects expenses of $2.3 billion.
Immigrant supporters are not happy about the proposed changes.
One advocate asked whether the increase fees will lead to better service to immigrants.
Crystal Williams, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the fee increase is better than last time. But, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, she added, immigrants “continue to be plagued with poor-quality service.”
When Will The New USCIS Immigration Fees Go Into Effect?
The fee increases will probably go into effect in late summer.
Comments on this entry are closed.