USCIS Announces Fee Increases

On July 31, 2020, the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) introduced a last rule that can modify charges for particular immigration and naturalization profit requests to “guarantee U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies [USCIS] recovers its prices of companies.” Not like most authorities businesses, USCIS is payment funded and the announcement comes amid issues about potential furloughs at USCIS on account of a budgetary shortfall.

Based on DHS, immigration charges will enhance by a weighted common of 20 p.c throughout the board. In actuality, nonetheless, the payment modifications is not going to have an effect on all immigration advantages equally. Charges for some generally used classifications are set to go up considerably. Petitions for L visas, for instance, will enhance by 75 p.c, whereas charges for different petitions, corresponding to Type I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Staff, will lower. Along with the modifications within the payment schedule, DHS has introduced updates relating to premium processing; variations of Type I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Employee; and adjustment of standing purposes. DHS introduced the rule proposing these modifications in November 2019 for public discover and remark, and the company made minimal modifications between the proposed and last guidelines. All modifications are scheduled to take impact on October 2, 2020.

The next is a pattern of the payment modifications scheduled to take impact for among the mostly used enterprise immigration advantages.

Immigration Type

Present Charge

Ultimate Charge

Distinction in Price

P.c Change

I-129H1, Petition for Nonimmigrant Employee: H-1 Classification (H-1B, H-1B1)

$460

$555

+$95

+21

I-129L, Petition for Nonimmigrant Employee: L Classification (L-1A, L-1B, Blanket L)

$460

$805

+$345

+75

I-129E&TN, Petition for Nonimmigrant Employee: E or TN Classification

$460

$695

+$235

+51

I-129O, Petition for Nonimmigrant Employee: O Classification

$460

$705

+$245

+53

I-539, Utility to Prolong/Change Nonimmigrant Standing (on-line submitting)

$370

$390

+$20

I-539, Utility to Prolong/Change Nonimmigrant Standing (paper submitting)

$370

$400

+$30

I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Staff

$700

$555

-$145

-21

I-485, Utility to Register Everlasting Residence or Alter Standing

$1,140 (the $85 biometrics payment is at the moment charged individually)

$1,130

-$10

-1

I-485, Utility to Register Everlasting Residence or Alter Standing for applicant beneath the age of 14

$750

$1,130

+$380

+51

I-765, Utility for Employment Authorization

$410

$550

+$140

+34

I-765, Utility for Employment Authorization (Deferred Motion for Childhood Arrivals (DACA))

$410

I-131, Utility for Journey Doc

$575

$590

+$15

N-400, Utility for Naturalization (on-line submitting)

$640

$1,160

+$520

+81

N-400, Utility for Naturalization (paper submitting)

$640

$1,170

+$530

+83

Extra Adjustments

The ultimate rule will have an effect on extra than simply immigration charges. DHS has additionally introduced that it’s going to make the next course of modifications.

Premium Processing

DHS will prolong the premium processing timeframe in order that the company has 15 enterprise days to course of petitions and purposes, versus 15 calendar DHS states that this modification will permit USCIS extra time to course of circumstances and should eradicate the necessity to briefly droop premium processing when requests are excessive, as has change into extra frequent over the previous few years.

No extra payment modifications for premium processing are included within the introduced payment schedule.

Nonimmigrant Visas

As a substitute of a single Type I-129 that can be utilized for a number of visa classifications (corresponding to H-1B, L, E, and TN), there can be a number of varieties for every particular visa classification (as recognized within the chart above). DHS states that the brand new varieties “will simplify or consolidate the data necessities for petitioners and candidates in addition to higher replicate the price to adjudicate every particular nonimmigrant classification kind.”

The totally different Type I-129 sorts will every have a definite payment.

If a Type I-129 is filed for a employee who’s current in the USA, the petitioner should present the employee’s home deal with when finishing the shape. This info has not beforehand been required.

Adjustment of Standing Purposes

DHS will now require candidates to pay a separate payment to use for work authorization and journey paperwork, even when submitting concurrently with Type I-485, Utility to Register Everlasting Residence or Alter Standing. Presently, Type I-765, Utility for Employment Authorization, and Type I-131, Utility for Journey Doc, could also be filed concurrently with a Type I-485 with out an extra payment. Employment authorization doc and advance parole (EAD/AP) renewals have additionally traditionally been exempt from submitting charges.

The requirement to pay separate charges can be phased in in response to the chart under (assuming a Type I-485 continues to be pending).

Date I-485 Filed

Cost of Separate Charges Required?

Earlier than July 30, 2007

Sure.

On or after July 30, 2007, however earlier than October 2, 2020

No.

On or after October 2, 2020

Sure.

The full payment for submitting Type I-485 with all advantages, together with EAD/AP, can be $2,270 versus the present $1,225—a rise of 85 p.c.

The proposed base payment ($1,310) for Type I-485 will apply to all candidates, together with kids 14 years previous or youthful who’re submitting with their dad and mom. (The present payment is $750 for youngsters beneath 14.)

Biometrics Charges

A biometrics payment can be integrated into the submitting payment for the underlying profit and can now not be charged as a separate payment, typically.

The biometrics payment will stay a separate payment for short-term protected standing (TPS) purposes.