Current USCIS Filing Fees Will Increase to More than Double
Washington, DC., April 2, 2007- The comment period to answer to the USCIS proposed increase of filing fees ended on April 2, 2007. The USCIS will now review and consider the comments it has received on the proposed rule wherein it indicates its intention to raise the filing fees 66% over the current fees.
On February 1, 2007, USCIS published a Notice of Proposed Rule Making in the Federal Register that would substantially raise filing fees for most types of cases. The rise in fees was a result of the USCIS's "comprehensive review" of the costs involved in providing their services. The increases are intended to address funding gaps, which the USCIS attributes in part to increased security requirements, as well as new complexities in immigration requirements. Using the USCIS's own calculations, they project that the proposed fee adjustments will result in an increase of 66% over the current fees. The most recent communication from USCIS indicates that they intend to implement this increase as early as the end of April 2007.
The list of case types affected by the substantial fee increases is wide-ranging. The increases would affect both family-based and employment-based immigration cases. The U.S. citizenship cases would be affected as well. Some examples of the most common case types that would be affected by the increase fees are the following:
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
The USCIS is proposing to remove the filing fees for the Application for Employment Authorization Document and for Advance Parole. Still, since the filing fee for the application to adjust status (obtain Green Card) would almost triple, the proposal will not result in any savings to most individuals.
If you are an immigrant in need of legalized immigration status, Visa, Green Card, or U.S. citizenship now is the time to act. Do not wait until the USCIS fees are increased and end up paying almost double the current fees available. Contact an Immigration lawyer today to discuss available options and strategies and to begin processing your case.
About the Author:
Attorney Sonia M. Muñoz is the President of Immigration Legal Experts, Inc.,a South Florida-based law firm, handling cases in all 50 states. The firm is very active in protecting the rights of Immigrants and in assisting foreign professionals to legally enter and work in the United States. You can find more information about the Firm and different methods of entry into the US on their website at www.immigrationlegalexperts.com, or by calling 1-866-482-VISA(
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