The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed increasing the fees that United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) charges for certain immigration and naturalization filings. The proposal would increase USCIS fees by a weighted average of 21 percent and add one new fee specific to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program.
DHS last adjusted the USCIS fee schedule in November of 2010, and USCIS reviews the fee chart every two years as required by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget. The 2010 fee adjustment funded specific USCIS performance improvement initiatives, including projects aimed at increasing government accountability and efficiency. DHS has stated that the current fee schedule from 2010 is inadequate in part because it was established under the assumption that certain additional funds would be appropriated from Congress; however, DHS received only a small portion of the funds it requested in fiscal years 2010 and 2011.
USCIS is proposing no changes to the premium processing fee ($1,225) or the biometric services fee ($85) at this time.
Notable Proposed Changes to USCIS Fees
DHS published this proposal in the Federal Register and will accept public comments through July 5, 2016. Comments may submitted online by visiting www.regulations.gov, entering “USCIS-2016-0001” in the search box, and clicking on the “Comment Now!” button; by emailing uscisfrcomment@dhs.gov and referencing “DHS Docket No. USCIS-2016-0001” in the subject line; or by mail.