USCIS Filing Fees Increasing - April 1st 2024

[NorthByNorthwest 328]

1 hour ago, Crazy Cat said:

Nor for my wife....but we had to pay for biometrics. 

 

Yeah, it would be an improvement to not actually have to pay for biometrics if it is waived...

[Crazy Cat 41,619]

12 minutes ago, NorthByNorthwest said:

 

Yeah, it would be an improvement to not actually have to pay for biometrics if it is waived...

I think only a very select group would be exempt from biometrics. 

[JeanneAdil 6,422]

3 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Has the N-400 always been income adjusted?

Yes,  if u didn't meet 200% of poverty the N 400 was $320  

[nastra30 2,281]

32 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

I think only a very select group would be exempt from biometrics. 

Agree; and they'll need a waiver to be exempt. Below are those who might qualify for a waiver:

https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-1-part-c-chapter-2

"A person may qualify for a waiver of the fingerprint requirement if he or she is unable to provide fingerprints because of a medical condition,[27] including but not limited to disability, birth defects, physical deformities, skin conditions, and psychiatric conditions.[28] Only certain USCIS employees are authorized to grant a fingerprint waiver."

 

However, for N400 only the following groups are exempt from the biometrics fee. They'll still need to attend a biometrics appointment or have that appointment waived due to previously supplied fingerprints. Everyone else will have to pay the biometrics fee.

https://www.uscis.gov/n-400#:~:text=%24640.,See exceptions below.)

"Exceptions:

+Applicants 75 years of age or older do not need to pay a biometric fee. They only need to pay the $640 filing fee.

+No filing fee or biometric services fee is required for military applicants filing under section 328 or 329 of the INA."

Edited January 31 by nastra30

[yuna628 9,665]

I don't really understand why we need to pay for biometrics if they end up never actually using new biometrics. But what do I know, they never make sense.

[Scandi 4,149]

9 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

I don't really understand why we need to pay for biometrics if they end up never actually using new biometrics. But what do I know, they never make sense.

Probably because they have no way of collecting the fee afterwards, if they do call you for a bio appointment. 

[Bob in Boston 684]

11 minutes ago, yuna628 said:

don't really understand why we need to pay for biometrics if they end up never actually using new biometrics. But what do I know, they never make sense.

means they get to keep the fee and not pay the outside agency doing the work...... money maker for them

[Thrillhouse 193]

5 hours ago, Tellurous said:

No, it's not a joke. The date appears to be pure coincidence.

 

April 1st is the beginning of the fiscal year for many companies and governments. I suspect that's the reason for the date.

[JeanneAdil 6,422]

If the system truly worked the way it was set up biometrics would be done at ROC stage and then not needed for N400 applying so close behind the ROC interview

but they do use the biometrics to verify applicants when u go into an interview for anything  even if its only 1 fingerprint when u register at the desk for your appointment(s)

 

I would think doing new bio"s (fingerprints and photo) is especially important when someone has to go 5 years for N400 as appearances change a lot over time/  My Adil lost his hair/he's going to kill me for writing that

but over time people change a lot with weight gain or lost,  even having to wear glasses is  a big change

[top_secret 2,379]

I always thought the existing N-600 fee of $1170 was pretty ridiculous.  Increasing it to $1335 makes it even more so.  I'm sure there are some more complex claims of citizenship that may require more time and effort to adjudicate but I'd bet the majority of N-600 cases take like 2 minutes to look up the facts in their system. I can't imagine why it should cost any more than a passport does.

[JeanneAdil 6,422]

7 minutes ago, Thrillhouse said:

 

April 1st is the beginning of the fiscal year for many companies and governments. I suspect that's the reason for the date.

April's fools Joke but serious

But the following is the explanation

 

• Incorporating biometric services costs into the main benefit fee and removing the separate biometric services fee in most cases (Temporary Protected Status and the filings accepted on behalf of the Executive Office for Immigration Review are exceptions, where the rule proposes a separate biometric services fee of $30 instead of the current $85)

there is a lot more changes  in the fee structure other than just the fees  as explained in  the January Federal Registry

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/01/31/2024-01427/us-citizenship-and-immigration-services-fee-schedule-and-changes-to-certain-other-immigration

[TexasRafael 130]

Wow some of these increases are way out of line vs inflation, seems that they are discouraging immigration or at least making very difficult for the common US citizen to participate in the process of K1 or CR1.  Very sad. 

[JeanneAdil 6,422]

1 hour ago, JeanneAdil said:

Yes,  if u didn't meet 200% of poverty the N 400 was $320  

 

11. Naturalization and Citizenship Fees

 

This final rule expands eligibility for paying half of the regular fee for Form N–400, Application for Naturalization. An applicant with household income at or below 400 percent of Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) may pay half price for their Application for Naturalization. See8 CFR 106.2(b)(3)(ii).

[.yana 597]

3 hours ago, nastra30 said:

Another trend is the subtle nudge to make people file online by making online filing fees less than paper filings. With the eventual goal of killing off those paper applications and making more forms available online.

I would stand behind this but only if USCIS spend that extra $$$ to significantly improve their website functionality. Because when I was doing online filing, it was a disaster. 

[JeanneAdil 6,422]

14 minutes ago, TexasRafael said:

Wow some of these increases are way out of line vs inflation, seems that they are discouraging immigration or at least making very difficult for the common US citizen to participate in the process of K1 or CR1.  Very sad. 

What i see is the cost of K1 and the AOS afterward is now so much more expensive that it makes the CR1 a much better choice

 

If these new fees mean less K1's and then in a year (2 as they are behind) there will be less I 485's freeing up US offices to complete other petitions

 

common citizens  already can not afford things and that's why we see joint sponsorship needs