USCIS Increases Immigration Fees on April 1st 2024!

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a final rule adjusting immigration and naturalization benefit request fees for the first time since 2016.

USCIS Increases Immigration Fees on April 1st 2024!

Who and what will be affected? The final rule includes lowered annual cost recovery, expanded fee exemptions for certain groups, special fee discounts for nonprofits and small businesses, and reduced fees for specific categories.

USCIS emphasizes that every fee in the final rule is the same or lower than in the proposed rule.

Here are some of the new fees in the final rule:

• I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (Online): From $535 to $625
• I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (Paper): From $535 to $675
• I-131 Application for Travel Document: From $575 to $630
• I-131 Application for Travel Document (with biometric services): From $660 to $630 - This is actually lower!
• I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers: From $700 to $715
• I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status: From $1140 to $1440
• I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (with biometric services): From $1225 to $1440
• I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence: From $595 to $750
• I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (with biometric services): From $680 to $750
• I-765 Application for Employment Authorization (online filing): From $410 to $470
• I-765 Application for Employment Authorization (online filing) (with biometric services): From $495 to $470
• I-765 Application for Employment Authorization (paper filing): From $410 to $520
• I-765 Application for Employment Authorization (paper filing) (with biometric services): From $495 to $520
• N-400 Application for Naturalization (online filing): From $640 to $710
• N-400 Application for Naturalization (online filing) (with biometric services): From $725 to $710
• N-400 Application for Naturalization (paper filing): From $640 to $760
• N-400 Application for Naturalization (paper filing) (with biometric services): From $725 to $760

Note that, under the final rule: Individuals seeking adjustment of status will pay half the standard fee for Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, if they paid the full fee for a concurrently filed or pending adjustment application!

See here for more details>>

When will the final rule take into effect?

The new fees will take effect on April 1, 2024, with USCIS encouraging stakeholders to review the updated forms and fees on their website.

The agency plans to use the generated revenues to enhance customer experience and address backlog growth, while congressional funding remains crucial for managing increased caseloads, especially related to recent border crossers.