Immigration Filing Fee Increase will take place December 23rd
On May 4, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice that it would increase filing fees on most applications filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). DHS has now published its final rule showing the increases in filing fees for each application.
Beginning December 23, 2016, Filing Fees for temporary visa petitions, family- and employment-based petitions for permanent residence, applications for adjustment of status, naturalization, and waivers will increase.
Notable Fee Increases for Filing Immigration Forms
Applications for which filing fees will be increasing include the I-485 Application, I-90 applications to renew or replace permanent resident card, I-131 Application for Travel Document, I-601 Application for Waiver of Ground of Inadmissibility, I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, the I-212 Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the U.S. after a Deportation or Removal, and the Applications for Naturalization and Certificate of Citizenship.
Fees Will Increase for these Common Applications:
| Form/Application | Current Filing Fee | New Filing Fee Beginning 12-23 |
| I-129/I-129CW Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker | $325 | $460 |
| I-129F Petition for Alien Fiance(e) | $340 | $535 |
| I-130 Petition for Alien Relative | $420 | $535 |
| I-131 Application for Travel Document | $360 | $575 |
| I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker | $580 | $700 |
| I-192 Application for Advance Permission to Enter as a Nonimmigrant | $585 | $585( if filed by and processed with CBP) $930 (all other applications) |
| I-212 Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the U.S. After Deportation or Removal | $585 | $930 |
| I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status | $290 | $370 |
| I-485 Application to Adjust Status to Permanent Resident | $985 + $85 biometrics fee | $1140 + $85 biometrics fee |
| I-485 Application to Adjust Status to Permanent Resident (for applicants under age 14) | $635 + $85 biometrics fee | $750 + $85 biometrics fee |
| I-90 Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card | $365 + $85 biometrics fee | $445 + $85 biometrics fee |
| I-601 Application for Waiver of Ground of Inadmissibility | $585 | $930 |
| I-612 Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement (Under Section 212(e) | $585 | $930 |
| I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence | $505 + $85 biometrics fee | $595 + $85 biometrics fee |
| I-765 Application for Employment Authorization | $380 | $410 |
| N-400 Application for Naturalization | $595 + $85 biometrics fee | $640 + $85 biometrics fee |
| N-600/N-600K Application for Certificate of Citizenship | $600 (N-600)$550 (N-600K) | $1170 (N-600 and N-600K) |
| USCIS ELIS Fee (now called USCIS Immigrant Fee) | $165 | $220 |
EB-5 Immigrant Investor-Related Petitions and Regional Center Applications will have some of the largest filing fee increases:
| Form/Application | Current Filing Fee | New Filing Fee Beginning 12-23 |
| I-526 | $1500 | $3675 |
| I-924 Application for Regional Center Designation Under the Immigrant Investor Program | $6230 | $17,795 |
| I-924A Annual Certification of Regional Center | $0 | $3035 |
Interestingly, the filing fee for the I-829 Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions remains the same at $3750. The full list of the increases in filing fees is available on the USCIS website.
Why You Should NOT Rush to Submit if you are Considering Filing an Application
If you are interested in filing an application, you may want to rush to submit it before the fee increases go into effect. But don’t rush to do something that might cause problems for you later – speak with a top immigration lawyer to be sure that you qualify for the immigration status or benefit you are seeking.
If you do not, hurrying to file will probably cost you more in the long run, and filing an incomplete or poorly-prepared application often ends up causing problems or costing you extra time, stress and money later as well. It may still be possible to file your application before fees increase, but make sure you prepare a good filing. Check out our blog on the tricky part of immigration here.
Some Applications have Required Timeframes
Also be aware that some applications have required timeframes to file and some renewal or extension applications can only be filed so many days in advance of a deadline or expiration date.
For example:
- If you are a conditional resident and will be filing an I-751 Joint Petition to Remove Conditions on your residence, you must wait until 90 days before your card expires to file. If that time has not yet arrived, it’s too early to file.
- If you want to file for naturalization but do not yet have the required number of years as a permanent resident, you should not file the application now trying to save money!
- If you have nonimmigrant status that will expire more than 180 days from now, you must wait until your status will expire within 180 days or less to file your application for an extension of your status.
- If you are the beneficiary of an approved I-140 petition and your priority date is not current on the visa bulletin for the current month, you cannot file an I-485 application
Talk with an experienced immigration attorney to be sure you are filing your application at the right time and with the required information. If it is time to file your application, invest in filing the best application you can to save yourself money and stress involved in correcting problems in the future.
Get ready – USCIS is increasing filing fees for applications soon!
If you have a question about your immigration status or would like to schedule a consultation with the Law Office of Kathryn N. Karam, P.C., please call us at (832) 582-0620 or click here to write us a note:
