Last Updated: February 13, 2024

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On January 30, 2024, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an approved fee increase that will go into effect on April 1, 2024. This fee change includes increased pricing for many applications and petitions. The reason for these fee changes is that application fees fund the majority of USCIS’s financial needs for operation and to more fully recover its operating costs, reestablish and maintain timely case processing, and prevent the accumulation of future case backlogs.” The previous fee increase was completed by USCIS in 2016. 

2024 Fee Updates: 

The announced fee changes impact almost all immigration application types. In this article, we will review primarily the application types that SimpleCitizen offers.

Biometrics Fee

Note: While previously charged separately on various applications, the biometrics fee has been removed and is now part of the set application fee for a form.

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Form I-130

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Adjustment of Status (Form I-485 and connected forms)

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I-131 (When filed with Form I-485)

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I-765 (When filed with Form I-485)

*This fee will also be required for renewal of the EAD if required.

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Removal of Conditions

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Fiance Visa

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Naturalization

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Renewal

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Important things to note:

The new fee changes will go into effect on applications received by USCIS starting on April 1, 2024. This means your application must be postmarked prior to April 1 in order for the previous fee amounts to be accepted. Beginning April 1, 2024, all applications will be subject to the updated fee schedule.

Please note that this rule intends to preserve the existing fee waiver eligibility for low-income and vulnerable populations. It also includes the addition of new fee exemptions for certain humanitarian programs.

Questions about your USCIS application?

Reach out to SimpleCitizen today and start your application. We know the path through US immigration processes can feel overwhelming, but we’re happy you’re here! Reach out to our chat support team to determine if we can help you submit prior to the fee increase.

On August 21, 2023, USCIS announced that they have released an online form to request in-person appointments at a local field office. This form can be used by individuals, attorneys, and accredited representatives to create the request. It is important to note that these appointment requests can be used for reasons such as ADIT stamps (I-551 stamp), Emergency Advance Parole, Immigration Judge Grants, and more. This is not an appointment to review your immigration application with USCIS. USCIS will continue to schedule those appointments according to their timelines and availability.

USCIS states, “It is not a self-scheduling tool, and individuals cannot schedule their own appointments with USCIS. The USCIS Contact Center will review submitted forms and the availability of in-person appointments at a specific field office. Individuals may request a specific date and time for an in-person appointment, but USCIS cannot guarantee that the requested appointment date will be scheduled. USCIS will confirm and schedule the individual for an available in-person appointment date and time.”

Appointments can be scheduled on the following website: my.uscis.gov/appointment

USCIS Announces Online Self-Service Tool to Reschedule Biometric Services Appointments

On June 28, 2023, USCIS announced an online self-service tool to reschedule biometric services appointments. This can be done through my.uscis.gov online accounts by benefit requestors, their attorneys, or their representatives for individuals who filed on paper or online applications.

USCIS outlines the following process to make those requests, "To use the biometric services appointment rescheduling tool, individuals who have good cause to reschedule must first create a USCIS online account (if they do not already have one) and visit my.uscis.gov before their scheduled appointment date. The individual must:

• Select the Biometric Rescheduling option;
• Follow the on-screen instructions to reserve a new appointment time and/or appointment location;
• Choose a method (email or SMS message) to receive a confirmation message once a printable copy of the new appointment notice is available; and
• Print the new appointment notice to bring to the application support center (ASC).

Each person must then bring the printed new appointment notice along with a valid, unexpired photo identification (for example, Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card), passport, or driver’s license) or other identity documentation as authorized by USCIS to the appointment. If the applicant has more than one biometric services appointment notice, the applicant should bring all notices to the ASC appointment. A printed copy of an appointment notice is required by the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) and ASCs will not accept electronic copies of notices."

They have also provided a Policy Manual Update to explain when untimely requests or missed appointments will be considered for rescheduling appointments.

They state that "Good cause exists where the request to reschedule provides a sufficient reason for the benefit requestor’s inability to appear on the scheduled appointment date. Sufficient reasons for “good cause” may include, but are not limited to:

• Illness, medical appointment, or hospitalization;
• Previously planned travel;
• Significant life events such as a wedding, funeral, or graduation ceremony;
• Inability to obtain transportation to the appointment location;
• Inability to obtain leave from employment or caregiver responsibilities; and
• Late delivered or undelivered biometric services appointment notice."

In addition, they have provided specific circumstances where biometrics appointments can still be rescheduled via contacting the USCIS contact center. Stating, "You must still call the USCIS Contact Center to reschedule an appointment if:  

• The request is within 12 hours of your existing appointment time;
• This is the third attempt to reschedule the same appointment;
• The request is for a missed appointment; or
• The tool is unavailable due to technical reasons."

Published April 3, 2023

As of March 31, 2023, USCIS has updated its guidance on selecting gender markers on its forms and documents. Previously, individuals were required to indicate their gender based on their legal documents, but effective immediately, USCIS will allow individuals requesting immigration benefits to self-identify their gender marker. The selected gender will not be required to match the gender marker from their supporting documentation, and no additional documentation will be required. However, this does not apply to Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document.

USCIS has indicated that currently, the only gender markers available are “Male” and “Female,” but The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is actively working on adding an “X” marker “for another or unspecified gender identity.” Once that has been updated, USCIS will update its forms.

On Jan 3, 2023, USCIS proposed a fee increase, including increased pricing for many applications and petitions. The reason for these fee changes is that application fees fund the majority of USCIS's financial needs for operation. It has been announced that these proposed fee increases are meant to help USCIS “more fully recover its operating costs, reestablish and maintain timely case processing, and prevent the accumulation of future case backlogs.”

It is important to note that at this point, these increases are only in the proposal stage and are currently undergoing a 60-day comment period. During this time, the public can submit comments and feedback on the proposed fees. Following the comment period, USCIS will review the comments and make adjustments before finalizing the fee schedule.

How does this impact intending immigrants?

If approved, the proposed fee changes would significantly increase the cost of immigration for the majority of applicants. 

Here is a list of some of the ways fees could change if this proposal is approved: 

1. The filing fee for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, would increase from $535 to $820, 
2. The Filing fee for Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, would increase from $1225 to $1540. 
3. USCIS would start requiring separate filing fees for Form I-131 and Form I-765 filings, even when filed concurrently with Form I-485. 
4. The reduced fees for children filing with parents would be done away with, increasing costs for families that adjust status together.

USCIS also proposes significant increases to fiance visa applications, removal of conditions applications, naturalization applications, and many other petitions and applications. For more information on all of the proposed changes, see USCIS’s FAQ page and the Proposed Rule. 

Please note that this proposed rule intends on preserving the existing fee waiver eligibility for low-income and vulnerable populations. It also proposes the addition of new fee exemptions for certain humanitarian programs. 

What is the USCIS timeline for the fee change?

The USCIS 60-day comment period began on January 4, 2023, and will end on March 6, 2023 (This comment period has now been extended to March 13th, 2023). After the period, they will still have to (1) finalize their updates based on the comments and (2) release the final information. While this finalization period can vary in length, the changes could go into effect anytime from April 2023 or beyond.

How can SimpleCitizen help you?

At SimpleCitizen, we understand that potential fee changes can add additional stress to the already stressful immigration process. While these fees have yet to be implemented and may change, they may significantly impact applications. Start your application today so you can have the peace of mind that no matter what fee increases occur, you have time to submit before their finalization!

Published April 3, 2023

As of March 31, 2023, USCIS has removed the rule requiring the civil surgeon’s signature on Form I-693 to be completed no more than 60 days before the applicant submits the underlying immigration application, including Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.

With the removal of this rule, applicants can now submit medical exams with their underlying application, even if the civil surgeon signed the exam more than 60 days before the submission. The medical exams, Form I-693, will now only be subject to their 2-year validity period from the time of signature to adjudication by USCIS. 

USCIS states that “This policy update will allow USCIS to adjudicate cases with immigration medical examinations that would previously have been considered invalid. Rather than issuing Requests for Evidence (RFEs) for Form I-693 signed more than 60 days before the filing of the I-485, but otherwise valid, we will be able to accept these Forms I-693 for adjudicative purposes for up to 2 years after the date the civil surgeon signed the form.”

Dated: December 5, 2024

Dec 2, 2024 Update: While USCIS previously allowed Form I-485 to be submitted without a complete Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, they changed that rule as of December 2, 2024, and now require that adjustment of status applicants submit the medical exam at the time of submission of Form I-485.

On December 14th, 2022 USCIS informed the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) of their recommendation that green card applicants filing form I-485 file, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, also file Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record, along with their application. 

While applicants do have the option to file the I-693 either with the initial application or at a later point as requested by USCIS, this new recommendation to file it with the initial application is given due to USCIS’s expansion of potential interview waivers for family-based application. By including the completed medical examination with the I-485 filing, applicants will reduce the risk of receiving a Request for Evidence for the I-693 if USCIS chooses to waive their interview. 

USCIS has not provided the methods that they use in determining whether a case’s interview will be waived. 

Information retrieved from AILA Doc No. 22121452

Last updated May 5, 2021.

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Joseph R Biden Jr was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States on January 20, 2021. Since then we’ve seen significant changes and expect to see further improvements in immigration law. There are a number of actions that the Biden-Harris administration has proposed to improve the immigration system.

Family Separation:

They will end family separation at the border and reunite children with their parents. They will not use a zero-tolerance policy as an intimidation tactic.

Asylum

They will open more access to asylum. They will do this by expanding the meaning of persecution, or the grounds on which to seek asylum. For example, they want to extend protections to LGBTQ+ individuals. They also want to end the Migrant Protection Protocols, which forced individuals awaiting asylum cases to go back to their home countries while their cases are being processed. Furthermore, they will make sure that asylum applications are processed efficiently and with less limitations.

They will end prolonged detention, especially of children. They want to develop alternatives to detention, such as case management programs. These allow individuals to exit detention but continue to move through the legal system.

They want to send more resources to the border. Specifically, they want to work with private and public organizations that help asylum seekers at the border, such as those who provide shelter or legal aid. They will focus on working with established non-governmental organizations and other asylum/refugee assistance agencies.

Public Charge

On March 9, 2021, the 2019 Public Charge Rule was terminated. USCIS is no longer accepting or requiring Form I-944, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency. The Biden administration saw the public charge rule as having added more roadblocks to immigration when individuals had to use public assistance such as SNAP or Medicaid. They want to allow individuals to use these services if they need them and still enjoy family reunification.

DACA

They want to protect DREAMers and their families. The ultimate goal is to provide a path to citizenship for DREAMers and their families, but for now, they will introduce protections. On January 20, 2021, President Biden issued a Presidential Memorandum entitled, “Preserving and Fortifying Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)” (“The Memo”).  USCIS is accepting first-time requests for DACA as well as renewals.

They will expand economic help for DACA students, such as access to federal student aid, community college without debt, and investment in minority colleges such as HBCUs.

Refugees and Representation

The Biden administration will rescind travel and refugee bans. They will not ban individuals based on their religion or the color of their skin. They will direct visa and other immigration applications to be re-opened from regions which previously saw immigration halts.

They will review the Temporary Protection Status (TPS) and the Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) programs. They will make sure individuals who qualify for these programs are not returned to their home countries. They also hope to provide a path to citizenship to those TPS/DED individuals who have been in the United States for a long time. They have added the new TPS rules.

They will restore sensible immigration enforcement. They will focus enforcement on those migrants who pose a threat to public safety. Those who are in detention will see due process and other civil rights defended. There will be no workplace raids, or raids in other areas where individuals are vulnerable (such as hospitals, schools, and churches).

They will enforce better standards for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. They will receive more training and be required to be more transparent, and they will also receive independent oversight.

ICE will replace the word “illegal alien“ with “undocumented” and “integration” will replace “assimilation”.

They will protect those migrants who have served in the military. They will not be targeted for deportation, and those who have been deported will be paroled back to the United States and be reunited with their families and military service.

They want to give representation to non-citizens. They will do so by counting any individual living in a certain State at the time of the Census, regardless of immigration status.

Citizenship

They will improve the naturalization process. They will improve and streamline it by addressing the backlog. They hope to prioritize better adjudication (or decision making) systems, make processing quicker, and get rid of unreasonable filing fees.

They will revitalize the Task Force on New Americans. They will prioritize integration, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement and provide resources and training for language learning, financial management, workplace skills, and guidance on the naturalization process.

Finally, they hope to convene a meeting with regional leaders (from countries such as Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras). These leaders will build a multi-national plan to address and alleviate factors driving immigration between the countries.

Joe Biden will focus on building bridges for immigrants and refugees to access the opportunities that the United States has to offer. He believes that immigrants are an integral part of this nation. He has emphasized that past Trump administration policies have hurt immigrants, and he hopes to return to policies that help them.  

Updated: Oct. 1, 2020

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On Tuesday night (9/29/2020), a federal judge in California temporarily blocked U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from increasing their fees.

In July, USCIS announced they would be increasing green card, citizenship, and other fees to “meet operational needs”. The fee increases were significant compared to previous fee increases implemented by USCIS, averaging 20 percent across all applicaiton types. According to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, the changes included a new $50 fee for asylum applications, limited fee waivers and changed the criteria for fee waiver eligibility, and charged separate fees for Forms I-765 and I-131 when filed with Form I-485, which is more than a 60 percent increase.

In Tuesday’s opinion, Judge Jeffrey White of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California questioned the reasoning behind these fee increases. USCIS has not provided data to show why their financial situation has become so dire. The court agreed with the plaintiffs that the fee increases seem to be based on arbitrary and capricious arguments. 

The court also questioned the legality of the fee increases as The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not have a Senate-confirmed secretary. The acting director of DHS, Chad F. Wolf, and previous acting director, Kevin McAleenan, were both appointed unlawfully under the Homeland Security Act and as such, they did not have the authority to issue the rule changes USCIS set forth as its final rule. The court concluded that the public has an interest in avoiding executive overreach and that appointments required informed consent of the Legislative branch. 

In his ruling, Judge White also cited humanitarian protections for low-income and vulnerable immigrants. The fee increases would “expose those populations to further danger” he wrote.

The court’s injunction took effect immediately Tuesday night, so USCIS fees will not increase in the short term. However, the Trump administration will likely appeal the court’s decision.

This article is updated as new information regarding the impact of COVID-19 on immigration is released.

October 1, 2021

Effective Oct. 1, 2021, applicants subject to the immigration medical examination must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before the civil surgeon can complete an immigration medical examination and sign Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record. This guidance applies to Form I-693 signed by civil surgeons on or after Oct. 1, 2021.

September 14, 2021

USCIS announces the COVID-19 vaccine will be required in order to complete the medical exam. Form I-693 to be updated shortly after.

August 2, 2020

A court issued an injunction against USCIS use of Form I-944, Declaration of Self-Sufficiency due to COVID-19 and its impact on the global economy. USCIS will not require submission of Form I-944 until further notice.

July 14, 2020

The policy which was put in place to required F-1 students taking classes online due to COVID to leave the United States was rescinded.

July 6, 2020

Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) announces that students taking online courses in the fall will not be allow to remain in the US during that time. This policy was later rescinded on July 14, 2020.

June 4, 2020

Certain USCIS field offices begin reopening. Appointments which were previously scheduled and cancelled will begin to be rescheduled.

May 1, 2020

USCIS issues an announcement that all responses to Requests for Evidence (RFE) and Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) dated between March 1 and September 11, 2020 will be given an extension of 60 days from the date previously set to be due.

April 24, 2020

USCIS has announced that all routine in-person services have been suspended until at least June 4th, 2020, but has continued to fulfill roles that do require public interaction.

USCIS will provide emergency services for limited situations. To schedule an emergency appointment contact the USCIS Contact Center.

April 23, 2020

The executive order will not apply to:

• Temporary visas (student visas, H1-B visas, etc.)
• Green card applicants filing from within the United States (“adjustment of status“)
• Spouses or minor children of U.S. citizens
• Special Immigrant Visas or EB-5 (“immigrant investor”)

It will affect:

• Spouses of legal permanent residents (green card holders) filing from abroad (consular processing). Spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens filing abroad are exempt.
• Siblings, parents, and adult children of U.S. citizens filing from abroad.

April 3, 2020

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released updates on their response to COVID-19. They stated that, “Detainee access to legal representatives remains a paramount requirement and should be accommodated to the maximum extent practicable. Legal visitation must continue unless determined to pose a risk to the safety and security of the facility”. In addition, where possible non-contact legal visitation should be offered. If it is determined that in-person visitation be necessary it will be permitted.

April 1, 2020

USCIS has announced that all routine in-person services have been temporarily suspended until at least May 3rd, 2020, but has continued to fulfill roles that do require public interaction. USCIS will provide emergency services for limited situations. To schedule an emergency appointment contact the USCIS Contact Center.

What this means for pending applications: No biometric appointments or interviews are currently being held. In cases where a biometrics is required and still incomplete that means that applications for work and travel authorization are not being processed at this time. Currently cases that require an interview will also remain pending until an interview can be scheduled.

March 30, 2020

USCIS announced that extension requests will reuse previously submitted biometrics in order to continue processing Employment Authorization Document (EAD) renewals.

March 27, 2020

USCIS issues an announcement that all responses to Requests for Evidence (RFE) and Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) dated between March 1 and May 1, 2020 will be given an extension of 60 days from the date previously set to be due.

March 21, 2020

Policies between the United States and both Canada and Mexico go into place. These policies restrict non-essential travel across both borders. Travel will be permitted for matters such as work, school, and healthcare.

March 20, 2020

USCIS announces that they will accept all forms and documents with reproduced signatures dated March 21, 2020 and beyond. 

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today announced that, due to the ongoing COVID-19 National Emergency announced by President Trump on March 13, 2020, we will accept all benefit forms and documents with reproduced original signatures, including the Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, for submissions dated March 21, 2020, and beyond. Keep copies of all original documents with signatures in case called upon to present them to USCIS as a later date.

Marcy 17, 2020

 USCIS has announced that all routine in-person services have been temporarily suspended until at least April 1, 2020, but has continued to fulfill roles that do require public interaction. USCIS will provide emergency services for limited situations. To schedule an emergency appointment contact the USCIS Contact Center.

What this means for pending applications: No biometric appointments or interviews are currently being held. In cases where a biometrics is required and still incomplete that means that applications for work and travel authorization are not being processed at this time. Currently cases that require an interview will also remain pending until an interview can be scheduled.

March 13, 2020

USCIS announced that seeking treatment for COVID-19 will not negatively impact immigrants under public charge.

Travel restrictions to the US are put into place from two dozen European countries. This restriction does not apply to US citizens and  permanent residents, their spouses, their unmarried siblings under 21, and their children.

* March 14th Ireland and England are added to list of restricted travel.