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:
- The filing fee for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, would increase from $535 to $820,
- The Filing fee for Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, would increase from $1225 to $1540.
- USCIS would start requiring separate filing fees for Form I-131 and Form I-765 filings, even when filed concurrently with Form I-485.
- 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!