New USCIS immigration fees go into effect starting April 1
The agency said that after submitting the new fees for public comment, it agreed to an increase of no more than 26 percent for some forms.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it will be adjusting certain application fees for immigration and naturalization benefits for the first time since 2016. After a year of reviews and after taking into account public comments, USCIS advises that the changes to immigration fees will take effect as of April 1, 2024. On Wednesday, Jan. 31, USCIS released the final rule for the new fees, which the agency said “will allow for better service and optimized wait time in case processing.” A grace period and certain waivers for applicants who qualify were announced. The agency said that after submitting the new immigration fees for public comment, it agreed to an increase of no more than 26% for some forms, which is equivalent to the increase in the Consumer Price Index since the last rule was issued in 2016. “For the first time in more than seven years, USCIS is updating our fees to better meet the needs of our agency and provide timely decisions to those we serve.” Ur Jaddou, Director of USCIS said. Jaddou added, “Due to years of insufficient funding, the USCIS workforce made great strides in providing customer services, reducing delays, implementing new processes and programs, and advocating for fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve.” USCIS received 5,400 comments from the public, in response to its January 2023 proposed final rule notice, and stated that taking into account stakeholder feedback, the fee final rule includes several important updates to the initial final rule. Immigration Fees Soar Some USCIS forms received hefty fee increases, here are a few: Some benefits of the new rates • They soften higher rates for employers with special discounts for nonprofits and small employers. • Allows applications for Employment Authorization Documents at half price for adjustment of status applicants. Reduced fee for adjustment of status applicants under the age of 14 under certain conditions. • Expands eligibility for a 50% fee reduction for naturalization applications. It is available to individuals who can demonstrate household income between 150% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. • It implements a standard $50 discount for people who apply online, rather than paper. There will be a grace period until June 3 for most forms. On the other hand, the USCIS also announced that they will accept previous editions of most forms during a grace period that runs from April 1 to June 3, 2024. During this time, they will accept previous applications, but submitted at the correct rate. Some forms will not fall within the grace period. For this reason, they urge the public to review all the information they offer on their website, available in Spanish. To read the full article, visit: https://enlacelatinonc.org
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