In the coming months, USCIS will be left without money: what to prepare for immigrants

In mid-May, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) asked Congress for $1,2 billion. Otherwise, the government agency owned by the US Department of Homeland Security will remain without funding until the end of the summer, writes "Voice of America".

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The reason is a decrease in the number of applicants for visas and permanent residence permits (green cards), and, as a result, the agency receives less money from the service fees that applicants pay.

The USCIS has not released data on how many visa applications and green cards have been received since the pandemic, but they recognize that their number is declining.

In late April, President Donald Trump unveiled U.S. Immigration Decree. It affects applicants for green cards and some immigrant visas. The restriction will last 60 days and will not apply to temporary workers. The purpose of the restrictions is to protect jobs in the United States, the president explained.

The New York Times reported that Trump also considering ban on issuing work visas for highly skilled H-1B workers and for seasonal H-2B visas workers, the president also wants to ban foreign students from staying in the country and working for three years after graduation.

On the subject: Immigration and quarantine ban: DV-2020 green card lottery winners ask Trump for help

Unlike other government agencies, USCIS receives almost no federal funding from taxpayer money and depends on the fees of applicants for visas, work permits, green cards, and US citizenship. The coronavirus pandemic has already led to a drop in the number of people wishing to receive these documents, but according to forecasts, this number will fall by 61% by September.

Migration Policy Institute expert Sarah Pierce adds: “There is one interesting detail in the agency’s appeal to Congress. Since the start of the Trump administration, the agency has been receiving fewer visa applications, down nearly 900, so their budget has already been in crisis for a long time. It was not difficult to assume that they would turn to Congress for help,” Pierce emphasized.

At the same time, Jessica Vaughn, director of political studies at the Center for Migration Studies, notes that the lack of funds is also related to decisions of the previous administration.

“During the Obama administration, immigrant visa recipients under the DACA program were allowed to pay half the fee. Asylum seekers receive their visas free of charge. The United States has faced hundreds of thousands of asylum petitions from people who have arrived at the southwest border during the immigration crisis over the past few years,” Vaughn said.

On the subject: Layoffs due to the crisis: what to do to immigrants who are in the USA on a work visa

In addition to a request for funding from the USCIS Congress plans to increase the cost of applications by another 10% - in addition to the increase in visa fees at the beginning of the year.

Limiting legal and illegal immigration to the United States is one of Donald Trump's campaign promises. He has consistently opposed so-called “chain migration” for relatives and the diversity green card lottery.

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