The final rule announced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding the adjustment of immigration and naturalization benefit request fees will have various impacts on immigrants. While the rule aims to recover a greater share of USCIS operating costs and improve processing times, it also means increased fees for many immigration applications. Immigrants will need to be prepared for these higher costs when applying for benefits such as visas, green cards, work permits, and naturalization.
However, the final rule does include some positive changes that could benefit certain immigrant groups. There are expanded fee exemptions for Special Immigrant Juveniles, victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, U.S. military service members, Afghan allies, and families pursuing international adoption. Additionally, there are special fee discounts for nonprofit organizations and small business employers. For individuals applying for naturalization, there is an expanded eligibility for a 50% fee reduction based on household income.
Overall, immigrants will need to carefully review the new fee schedule and consider the potential financial impact on their specific immigration applications. They may also need to explore eligibility for any fee exemptions or reduced fees available to them.
Read the full article, here:
See the Updated Fees here:
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/g-1055-fr.pdf