USCIS Sets Final Fee Schedule to Build an Immigration Service for the 21st Century

[WifeOHunkyJohn 2]

Office of Communications

US Citizens and Immigration Service

May 29, 2007

Press Release

USCIS Sets Final Fee Schedule to Build an Immigration Service for the 21st Century

Public comments prompt reduction in fees for some families applying for adjustment of status, expands fee waiver and exemption eligibility, permits one free extension of approved orphan petitions

WASHINGTON— Following a comprehensive review of more than 3,900 public comments, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today a final fee structure that includes benefits for some families with children and also expands the availability of fee waivers and exemptions.

The rule, scheduled to be published in tomorrow’s Federal Register, sets fees for the processing of immigration benefit applications and petitions and includes some substantive revisions from the proposal published in February of this year while providing necessary funding for the agency to continue strengthening the security and integrity of the immigration system, improving customer service, and modernizing business operations for the 21st century.

“We proposed our new fee structure with the expectation of ongoing discussions with the public on this important issue,” said USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez. “The volume and value of the comments we received has provided an opportunity to fine-tune our final fee structure that we believe is both fair to our customers and vital to our Nation as we continue to build a secure and efficient national immigration service.”

Key revisions in the final rule include a 25 percent reduction to the proposed filing fee for Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status to Permanent Resident) for children 14 years old or younger, translating to a $360 decrease from what was proposed for a family of two adults and two children filing together. The rule will also allow a one-time free extension of approved orphan petitions for prospective adoptive parents, and expands the availability of fee waivers for some adjustment of status cases that arise from asylum or other humanitarian categories, and certain juvenile immigrants. USCIS will also exempt “Special Immigrant – Juveniles” from the $375 filing fee for Form I-360 (Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant). Finally, USCIS will be able to waive the $80 biometric fee, in addition to the application/petition fee, on an individual basis.

The final rule retains the fee exemption for T visas (Victims of Human Trafficking) and self-petitioners seeking immigrant classification under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) for humanitarian reasons, as well as an exemption for all refugee and asylum applicants. The final rule also allows USCIS to waive the filing fee for U.S. citizens seeking immigrant status for their alien spouses (K-3 visas) and will continue to waive fees for members of the U.S. Armed Forces applying for naturalization.

USCIS expects that the revenue from the new fee structure will lead to a 20 percent reduction in average application processing times by the end of fiscal year 2009, and will cut processing times by the end of fiscal year 2008 for four key application types: the I-90 (Renew / Replace Permanent Resident Card), I-140 (Immigration Petition for Alien Worker), the I-485, and the N-400 (Naturalization). These four application types represent one-third of all applications filed.

The new fee structure is effective on July 30, 2007, and is posted at www.uscis.gov. Applications or petitions postmarked or otherwise filed on or after that date must include the new fee. More information on the final rule is available in the accompanying Questions and Answers document and a chart explaining the fee schedule for applications and petitions.

– USCIS –

[homesick_american 1]

Meh *shrug*

[Nancy2015 2]

I 751 - Remove conditions on your Permanent Resident status - $ 545 (filing + biometric)

...I better start saving money right now...

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Good news. The fees need to be higher. Raise the bar for legal immigrants!

[GaryC 7]

While I am sorry to see the fee go up I am relieved to see that it will not go into effect until the end of July. I hit a few bumps in the road money-wise and had to delay filing the OAS until next month. Looks like I will be good to go.

Edited May 29, 2007 by Iniibig ko si Luz forever

[athena_ny 1]

I 751 - Remove conditions on your Permanent Resident status - $ 545 (filing + biometric)

...I better start saving money right now...

Me too...oh well. At least we know ahead of time.

[mawilson 2,133]

I 751 - Remove conditions on your Permanent Resident status - $ 545 (filing + biometric)

...I better start saving money right now...

Wow, these things ain't cheap.

The funny thing is, the filing of this petition is not optional.

Cough up $545 or lose your status.

[Nancy2015 2]

I 751 - Remove conditions on your Permanent Resident status - $ 545 (filing + biometric)

...I better start saving money right now...

Wow, these things ain't cheap.

The funny thing is, the filing of this petition is not optional.

Cough up $545 or lose your status.

Yep That's exactly why I'm not upset about the citizenship application getting more expensive - at least it's not mandatory. But this I-751 is just a killer.

[Dan&Tiffany 0]

It would just be lovely if these fees actually have some impact on speeding up the process. Pipe dreams, right?

[LaL 418]

it would be lovely if those of us who are royally stuck having to renew each year would be updated to give the interim benefits that are supposedly included in the new fees. we have already paid $1085 to AOS. in September we are slated to pay an additional $645 if we are not "updated".

fun stuff.

[Lance27 19]

I totally agree on that one... I would'nt mind paying extra if the service and wait times improved drastically.

It would just be lovely if these fees actually have some impact on speeding up the process. Pipe dreams, right?

[Mary Lou 681]

I 751 - Remove conditions on your Permanent Resident status - $ 545 (filing + biometric)

...I better start saving money right now...

I hear ya there

But like Mawilson said its not as if we have a choice

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Office of Communications

US Citizens and Immigration Service

May 29, 2007

Press Release

USCIS Sets Final Fee Schedule to Build an Immigration Service for the 21st Century

...

The new fee structure is effective on July 30, 2007,

I 751 - Remove conditions on your Permanent Resident status - $ 545 (filing + biometric)

...I better start saving money right now...

Don't I feel lucky that we have the I-751 ready to go on June 16.

The $275.00 suddenly seems to be such a bargain.

[pixiegunn 0]

This is an article from last night about the fee increase as of July 30...some hefty fees!...

Citizenship and green card fees to rise

Tue May 29, 7:01 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Immigration officials said Tuesday they will proceed with plans to double the cost of applying to become a U.S. citizen and triple the fee for seeking legal permanent residency.

The fee increases will take effect July 30. Citizenship fees will rise from $330 to $595, plus $80 for required electronic fingerprints, an increase of $10. For legal permanent residency and fingerprints the cost will be $1,010 for those over 14. The cost now is $325.

Officials with Citizenship and Immigration Services, a division of the Department of Homeland Security, said the increases are needed to improve service, hire 1,500 workers, improve offices, equipment and systems to process applications.

"This agency is fee based, 99 percent of our budget comes from user fees. We need to be the agency people expect us to be. We need to undertake reforms .... The only way to get from there to here is to have the financial resources to do that," CIS Director Emilio Gonzalez said Tuesday.

Many immigration groups and some Democratic members of Congress have protested the fee increases, saying they will put citizenship and legal immigration out of reach of many immigrants. They also question whether better service will follow.

The new fees were to be published this week in the Federal Register and also were posted on the CIS Web site.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

OH #######!!!!! I miss being able to file at the old rate for removal of conditions by just a few days.....

Kez