USCIS Announces Oct. 2nd Fee Increase

USCIS has announced that they will increase filing fees for many applications as of October 2, 2020.

Following announcements that USCIS is struggling to meet operational costs due to cuts in funding and fewer applications being received (where the majority of funding generally comes from), the agency has released an updated fee chart. The new fees are scheduled to go into effect in early October. According to the Department of Homeland Security, they are implementing an average weighted increase of 20% across all form types, though some will be more affected than others. In particular, the fee for citizenship (Form N-400) will increase by $530 — an 83% increase.

Another major change noted on USCIS’s announcement is that plan to “unbundle” the Adjustment of Status forms and require a separate filing fee for each form. Currently, applicants can file Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document) and Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) without an extra fee as long as they were filed concurrently with (or following a) properly filed I-485 application. With the proposed change, applicants would be required to pay the separate fee for each form, which would add approximately $1,000 to the total Adjustment of Status filing fee.

Other forms affected by the new pricing plan include the I-129 for employment-based petitions and I-539 for extension and change of status. USCIS will also begin offering a small discount for online filing instead of paper filing. Those who are eligible for various immigration benefits are strongly encouraged to apply soon before the new fees go into effect.

For a complete list of the newly proposed fees, see here or give us a call at (503) 427-8243.