Potential USCIS Fee Increases are likely on the Horizons
USCIS Affidavit of Support Policy & Practice Changes may be coming
October 12, 2020
By: Coleman Jackson, Attorney
Potential USCIS Fee Increases are likely on the Horizons:
USCIS FILING FEES WERE SET TO INCREASE ON OCTOBER 2, 2020. Judge Jeffrey White of the United States District Court in the Northern District of California temporarily blocked the USCIS scheduled fee increases from taking place nationwide on September 30, 2020. The fees were set to increase by up to 60% on some immigration petitions. All who think they might want to file immigration petitions and applications for family members or employees should consider acting at once because temporary injunctions by courts do not necessarily mean that the USCIS will not prevail in the end; and if so, the analysis of the fee increases below(for a select group of type of petitions) could be the potential USCIS fee increases scheduled below could be required to file the following immigration petitions and applications:
| Form Number | Form Title |
Current Fee |
Potential New Fee |
| I-130 | Petition for Alien Relative |
$535 |
$560 |
| I-485 | Application to Register Permanent Residence |
$1,140 |
$1,130* |
| I-864 | Affidavit of Support |
$0 |
$0 |
| I-765 | Application for Employment Authorization
|
$410 |
$550 |
| I-131/I-131A | Application for Travel Document |
$575 |
$590 |
| Biometrics | Biometrics fee |
$85 |
$85 |
| I-90 | Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Paper Filing) |
$455 |
$415 |
| I-102 | Application for Replacement/ Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure |
$445 |
$485 |
| I-129/129CW | Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker |
$460 |
$695 |
| I-129F | Petition for Alien Fiancé |
$535 |
$510 |
| I-140 | Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker |
$700 |
$555 |
| I-212 | Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the U.S. after Deportation or Removal |
$930 |
$1,050 |
| I-360 | Petition for Amerasian Widow(er) or Special Immigrant |
$435 |
$1,130 |
| I-526 | Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur |
$3,675 |
$4,010 |
| I-539 | Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status |
$370 |
$390 |
| I-600/600a | Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative/Application for Advance Petition Processing of Orphan Petition |
$775 |
$805 |
| I-800/800A | Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative/ Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from Convention Country |
$775 |
$805 |
| I-601 | Application for Waiver of Ground of Excludability |
$930 |
$1,010 |
| I-601A | Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver |
$630 |
$960 |
| I-690 | Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility |
$715 |
$765 |
| I-694 | Notice of Appeal of Decision |
$890 |
$715 |
| I-698 | Application to Adjust Status from Temporary to Permanent Resident (Under Section 254A of the INA) |
$1,670 |
$1,615 |
| I-751 | Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence |
$595 |
$760 |
| I-824 | Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition |
$465 |
$495 |
| I-829
|
Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions |
$3,750 |
$3,900 |
| I-924 | Application for Regional Center Designation Under the Immigrant Investor Program |
$17,795 |
$17,795 |
| I-924A | Annual Certification of Regional Center |
$3,035 |
$4,465 |
| I-929 | Petition for Qualifying Family Member of a U-1 Non-immigrant |
$230 |
$1,485 |
| N-336 | Request for Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings |
$700 |
$1,735 |
| N-400 | Application for Naturalization |
$640 |
$1,160
|
| N-470 | Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalizing Purposes |
$355 |
$1,585 |
| N-565 | Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Documents |
$555 |
$535 |
| N-600 | Application for Certification of Citizenship/Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate under INA Section 322 |
$1,170 |
$1,00 |
* Biometric Fee is included in the I-485 application
USCIS Affidavit of Support Policy & Practice Changes may be Coming:
DHS has also proposed a new rule regarding the Affidavit of Support Process. This update requires U.S. Citizen sponsors, nationals, or lawful permanent residents who sponsor an immigrant to provide credit reports and credit scores, certified copies of income tax returns for the last three years, and bank account information to effectively demonstrate they can maintain the required income.
Petitioning sponsors that have received public benefits within the last 26 months of submitting a Form I-864 must be backed by a joint sponsor who has received no such public benefits during that time.
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This law blog is written by the Taxation | Litigation | Immigration Law Firmof Coleman Jackson, P.C. for educational purposes; it does not create an attorney-client relationship between this law firm and its reader. You should consult with legal counsel in your geographical area with respect to any legal issues impacting you, your family or business.
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