The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has closed the public comment period on a proposal to increase fees for permanent residency applications, commonly known as the green card.
According to the proposal, application fees for most categories of permanent immigrant visas to the United States will increase, and in some cases, significantly, such as for marriage visas.
According to the American Immigration Lawyers Association, the proposal suggests a 33% increase, to $710, in green card application fees for family members. In the case of marriage, the fee could double, rising from $1,760 to over $3,640. For bringing a fiancé to the United States, the fee will increase by 35%, from $535 to $720.
For an immigrant family of four, the costs to adjust status to become a permanent resident could exceed $10,000, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
Federal immigration officials say that the fee increases for certain petitions are necessary due to higher operational costs and also to expedite form reviews, hire more staff, and reduce the backlog of pending cases at the agency. In 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a drastic reduction in new applications, resulting in a temporary 40% drop in the agency’s revenue, according to USCIS itself.
About 96% of USCIS funding comes from fees, rather than Congressional funds.
The proposed changes will not take effect until a final rule is published. It remains to be seen whether the agency will proceed with the proposed fee increases or approve a modified version based on public comments.
Last week, Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and a bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security requesting the agency delay the increase in permanent visa fees.
But federal immigration officials argue that the proposal will benefit the agency and the legal immigration system. USCIS stated that while the proposed rule increases some fees, it will preserve the existing fee waiver for vulnerable and low-income populations.
Source: USCIS and AILA