Final Rule for USCIS fee increases

[HRQX 4,145]

8 hours ago, NikLR said:

The I-944 is harder for some people. 

"Applicants and petitioners whose applications or petitions are postmarked on or after July 29, 2020, should not include the Form I-944 or provide information about the receipt of public benefits on Form I-485, Form I-129, or Form I-539/I-539A." https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/public-charge/injunction-of-the-inadmissibility-on-public-charge-grounds-final-rule

8 hours ago, JSWH said:

Forgot about I-944. Makes sense. Thanks. 

See above info from USCIS

[Crazy Cat 41,601]

12 hours ago, Loren Y said:

There is obviously some underlying reason for that.

They say that the N-400 fees have been under charged for years.....they claim the increase now brings it into line with the way fees are calculated for other forms.  They also say that we are paying for asylees and other immigrants through the new N-400 fee.

Edited August 1, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[Sparkle Sparkle 914]

I just hope efficiency increase also.... We can be paying exorbitant fees for the same slow and inefficient service. 

[PWB 213]

 

Fee's represent about 97% of the budget, yet immigration is on the short end when it comes to support services.  The majority of budget goes to other agencies like Home Land Security, Boarder Patrol etc.  I believe even the U.S. Coast Guard get money from our fee's.   Don't forget all the front end expense before the Visa is issued.  Stuff like the mandatory visit rule, 129f filing fee, the outrageous $520.00 dollars for the physical at St Lukes Extension Hospital in Manila and all the other related expense to be with your loved one, like travel and so much more.   To me the frustrating part is despite all the money we spend we are still ignored and in some cases treated badly by the Government agencies who run this program. 

[Cilllah 474]

So I was working on mine and my daughters AOS application this month and sending next. I was only waiting until September as that’s when my fiancé’s health insurance kicks in but not sure if I need to do that now?

 

Anyway as long as I file before October 2 the combo card is still free and the K2 is still a reduced rate, right?

[Leah88 192]

11 hours ago, JSWH said:

"This final rule is effective October 2, 2020. Any application, petition, or request postmarked on or after this date must be accompanied with the fees established by this final rule." You have 2 months to send your AOS application before the new fees go into effect. 

May I ask why are you waiting for your diplomas to send the AOS package? They are not required. AOS is all about proof of your marriage bona fide. 

It is requested by form i944 to send in any kind of certificate as well as equivalency reports for those certificates. I literally just spend about 400$ for the transliterations and that report. So I’m waiting for the report to be done so I can send it in with my AOS package. Thank you for the advice!

[Just Paul 4,595]

7 minutes ago, Cilllah said:

So I was working on mine and my daughters AOS application this month and sending next. I was only waiting until September as that’s when my fiancé’s health insurance kicks in but not sure if I need to do that now?

 

Anyway as long as I file before October 2 the combo card is still free and the K2 is still a reduced rate, right?

I wouldn't wait that long to file.   Ask anyone that has received an RFIE or returned petition that was correct and postmarked before effective date of a change because it was incorrectly processed.

[Loren Y 2,755]

9 hours ago, Orangesapples said:

I'm wondering if the fancy ceremonies are the reason it's so expensive. Personally, I don't want a ceremony and I certainly don't want to pay for it! 

I don't think so.  Most of the people that work at the ceremonies are volunteers( I know, I volunteered at a bunch of them). There really isn't too much cost associated with it, and most of the money and funding comes from donations from local businesses and groups. Yes, some people do get paid, but I don't believe any of the cost is really covered by USCIS at all. They may have an employee or two that they have to pay to deliver the certificates, and maybe supervise the process, but This is something I am going to ask if They ever do them again soon. From my experience, here in Las Vegas at least, the costs are not passed all onto USCIS, anything is kept local for the costs.

[Orangesapples 1,954]

3 minutes ago, Loren Y said:

I don't think so.  Most of the people that work at the ceremonies are volunteers( I know, I volunteered at a bunch of them). There really isn't too much cost associated with it, and most of the money and funding comes from donations from local businesses and groups. Yes, some people do get paid, but I don't believe any of the cost is really covered by USCIS at all. They may have an employee or two that they have to pay to deliver the certificates, and maybe supervise the process, but This is something I am going to ask if They ever do them again soon. From my experience, here in Las Vegas at least, the costs are not passed all onto USCIS, anything is kept local for the costs.

Interesting, didn't know that. So they have no justification then. 

[DaveAndAnastasia 2,086]

15 hours ago, geowrian said:

I-131 very slightly cheaper, and no longer waived when filed due to an I-485

I-765 large increase, and no longer waived when filed due to an I-485

This is one is going to hurt. That makes AOS for most individuals much more expensive. This is estimated to increase revenue by $600 million.

I don't think we would have bothered with applying for EAD & AP for Anastasia given that fee structure and that when we filed time to interview in San Diego was averaging about a month longer than EAD/AP approval (and in practice she got her card ten days before the AOS interview), and I doubt that's an uncommon position (and it's not that I couldn't afford it, I just don't think it would have been worth it since we had no plans to travel internationally before this year at the earliest -- and those got put off even before COVID-19 due to pregnancy and then having an infant around). So I'm thinking this may not raise as much as they'd like.

 

14 hours ago, NikLR said:

Looks like I'll just renew my green card for a while since it's significantly cheaper to do that! 

I'm still figuring Anastasia will file for citizenship when she can, but traveling on a Russian passport is more difficult in most places than on a Canadian one.

[Cilllah 474]

1 hour ago, Paul & Mary said:

I wouldn't wait that long to file.   Ask anyone that has received an RFIE or returned petition that was correct and postmarked before effective date of a change because it was incorrectly processed.

Alright. I’ll get it done this month. Should be a lot faster without the public charge items now.

[JFH 12,189]

16 hours ago, Loren Y said:

 

The real hose job is the N400. That's completely insane. I definitely don't agree with a 81% increase on the most important one to become a citizen. There is obviously some underlying reason for that.

I could understand it if they used that money to bring offices like Seattle up to speed with the rest of the country. There are N-400 filers in Seattle who are still waiting, having filed in 2018. I have been following the time line of a fellow countrywoman from the UK who filed in an east coast location one month before me. She became a citizen a whole year before I am expected to become a citizen (according to the estimate on my USCIS online account - she was naturalized in January this year, mine is estimated for January next year). Despite filing in September 2019 I won’t be a citizen in time for the November 2020 election. But people who filed in February this year are already citizens in some offices. That’s grossly unfair. I can’t vote this year purely because USCIS Seattle is so far behind - and it’s not because of COVID-19. People have been waiting since 2018, long before COVID was known. 

[MaleAlpha 314]

30 minutes ago, JFH said:

I could understand it if they used that money to bring offices like Seattle up to speed with the rest of the country. There are N-400 filers in Seattle who are still waiting, having filed in 2018. I have been following the time line of a fellow countrywoman from the UK who filed in an east coast location one month before me. She became a citizen a whole year before I am expected to become a citizen (according to the estimate on my USCIS online account - she was naturalized in January this year, mine is estimated for January next year). Despite filing in September 2019 I won’t be a citizen in time for the November 2020 election. But people who filed in February this year are already citizens in some offices. That’s grossly unfair. I can’t vote this year purely because USCIS Seattle is so far behind - and it’s not because of COVID-19. People have been waiting since 2018, long before COVID was known. 

Trying not to speculate here but I find it very very interesting that USCIS isn't shoring up resources in some key parts of the country (especially since 2017) - Seattle being one. I live in Portland so I know Seattle is a major American city and you ll think they will get more resources. Portland is relatively smaller but also has a single USCIS office that caters to the entire state including the Vancouver, WA area. If you know anything about the politics of these 2 places and others like it, it won't surprise you why that's the case in these times.. Again trying not to speculate but it's an interesting coincidence.

[JFH 12,189]

2 minutes ago, MaleAlpha said:

Trying not to speculate here but I find it very very interesting that USCIS isn't shoring up resources in some key parts of the country (especially since 2017) - Seattle being one. I live in Portland so I know Seattle is a major American city and you ll think they will get more resources. Portland is relatively smaller but also has a single USCIS office that caters to the entire state including the Vancouver, WA area. If you know anything about the politics of these 2 places and others like it, it won't surprise you why that's the case in these times.. Again trying not to speculate but it's an interesting coincidence.

I agree. It’s not gone unnoticed here either. 

[HRQX 4,145]

4 hours ago, Leah88 said:

It is requested by form i944 to send in any kind of certificate as well as equivalency reports for those certificates.

Reminder that I-944 is currently optional, not required: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/public-charge/injunction-of-the-inadmissibility-on-public-charge-grounds-final-rule