USCIS raises immigration prices: what you need to know

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is short of funds due to the coronavirus pandemic and the suspension of most immigration processes, and therefore plans to increase fees for immigration services, writes Law360.

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USCIS, which is funded by fees paid by immigrants and their employers, has experienced a “sharp decline in income” as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the agency said.

The Immigration Service requested congressional emergency funding in the amount of $ 1,2 billion from the Congress. And in order to return this money, the agency plans to increase fees by 10% for immigration services, some of which already cost more than $ 1000.

“It is important that this funding proposal protects American taxpayers by not increasing the deficit and by requiring USCIS to return money to the U.S. Treasury,” an agency spokesperson said May 17.

The USCIS said the agency warned Congress of its financial problems on May 15, predicting a 61% drop in visa applications by the end of the fiscal year.

Without help from Congress, USCIS "will have to take decisive action to keep the agency afloat," the service said.

On the subject: USCIS has expanded the list of forms you can fill out online.

The drop in income is due to the fact that the immigration agency, which processes documents on green cards, citizenship and visa requests, limited service during the coronavirus pandemic. USCIS has suspended the accelerated processing of temporary work visas and green cards, as well as all personal interviews. Naturalization ceremonies also ceased.

In their last proposed law, adopted on the evening of May 15, Democrats in the House of Representatives called for remote naturalization ceremonies. In the Republican-controlled Senate, this bill ran into problems.

The Trump administration abruptly stopped immigration in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the associated high unemployment rate in the United States, including immigration processes for some potential immigrants, including relatives of permanent residents of the United States and parents of American citizens entitled to green cards.

The administration is also considering additional restrictions on new non-immigrant visas, such as the H-1B visa for foreign workers.

In the fall of 2019, USCIS announced plans to raise the fee for filing applications in all areas by 83%. For example, according to the November proposal, the fee for applying for citizenship should rise from $ 640 to $ 1170. The same proposal was voiced by the introduction for the first time in the history of payment for applying for asylum in the United States. However, this proposal has not yet been approved; its consideration and the collection of comments on it have been suspended due to a pandemic.

On the subject: How to extend or change your status of quarantine in the USA: update from USCIS

Here is the current cost of USCIS immigration services (without the 10% that they plan to add):

• I – 90 Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card $ 455;
• I–129/129CW Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker - $460;
• I–129F Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) - $535;
• I-130 Petition for Alien Relative - $535;
• I–140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker - $700;
• I–485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status - $1140;
• I–539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status - $370;
• I–698 Application to Adjust Status From Temporary to Permanent Resident - $1670;
• I–751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (application to remove conditionality from a green card) - $535;
• N–400 Application for Naturalization – $640;
• N–600/N–600K Application for Certificate of Citizenship – $1170;
• USCIS Immigrant Fee - $220;
• Biometric Services Fee - $85.

A complete list of immigration services with prices is available at USCIS website.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Coronavirus and immigrants: what holders of work visas need to know during a pandemic

What to do if you need an immigration service during the closing of USCIS offices

Quarantine and documents: how to remotely solve bureaucratic issues in Russia and the USA

The mission is almost impossible: as an immigrant tried to return from Ukraine to the USA during world quarantine

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