In Focus
NewsFLASH
May 11, 2007

USCIS FILING FEE INCREASE

As early as July 2007, the USCIS will implement a significant government filing fee increase pertaining to immigration and naturalization benefits (application and petition fees) by a weighted average of some 66%.  The last comprehensive fee reform took place in 1998 with periodic increases.  The move to increase fees for immigration filings has created much controversy within the immigration community. The USCIS published a Notice of Proposed Rule Making in the Federal Register on February 1, 2007. This notice sets forth the proposed fee increases, and the logic behind those proposed increases.
 
GO: Federal Register

 

This fee adjustment is a result of the USCIS conducting a comprehensive fee review and determining that the current fees do not reflect current processes, or recover the full costs of services that should be provided.  

 

The fee hike operates under the basic theory of consolidation. The rule proposes to merge the fees for certain applications so applicants will pay a single fee rather than paying several fees for related services.  The proposed rule also seeks to eliminate fees for interim benefits (such as the I-131 Travel Document and the I-765 Employment Authorization), duplicate filings, and premium processing by combining and reallocating costs among the various fees.  Certain applicants will be exempt from fees, such as applicants for T nonimmigrant status, or for status under the Violence Against Women Act. 

 

Proposed fee increases for some of the most commonly used forms looks like this:

 

Form

Petition Type

Current
Fee

Proposed
Fee

I-129

Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker

$ 190

$ 320

I-130

Petition for Alien Relative

$ 190

$ 355

I-485

Application to Register Permanent Residence
or Adjust Status

$ 325

$ 905

I-140

Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker

$ 195

$ 475

N-400

Application for Naturalization

$ 330

$ 595

 

We expect that USCIS will provide advance notification of 30-60 days before the fee increases are actually implemented.  We'll keep you posted on this.

 

Leslie Davis

Owner - Case Manager

Immigration Solutions

www.immigrationsolution.net

[email protected]