Feb 2 2007

USCIS Proposes to Raise Citizenship Fee

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed to increase immigration filing fees by roughly 66 percent, according to a public notice released by the federal organization. According to USCIS, “these fees are used to fund the full cost of processing immigration and naturalization benefit applications and petitions, biometric services, and associated support services.” The fees, according to USCIS, also help cover the costs of providing certain services to asylum and refugee applicants, along with other immigrants, who receive these services at no charge.

The fees for the immigration and naturalization benefit application and petition fee are scheduled to rise from an average fee of $264 to $438. In addition, fees for certain applications would be merged so that applicants would pay a single fee, as opposed to paying multiple fees for various services.

Over the past 12 years, there has been a fourfold increase in the cost of applying for citizenship to the United States. The proposed fee hike would make that a sevenfold increase. IN 1994, the cost to apply for citizenship to the United States was only $95; with the proposed fee, these costs would be $675.