USCIS considers raising H-1B, green card filing fees

Every two years, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reviews its Immigration Examinations Fee Account (IEFA). In fiscal year 2015, IEFA funded 94 percent of the agency’s initiatives, showing a heavy reliance on the account.

The FY 2016/2017 review proposes a 21 percent weighted average fee increase, which would allow the agency to recover the full cost of adjudicating visa petitions and providing naturalization services. It also includes the cost of servicing asylum applicants.

The fee increases would include:

• Form I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker, from $325 to $460
• Impacts temporary visas, such as H-1B, TN, L1, E-2 and O-1.
• Form I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, from $420 to $535
• Impacts legal permanent residency applications.
• Form I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, from $985 to $1,140 (plus an $85 biometrics fee).
• Impacts legal permanent residency applications.

Additional proposed increases impact fiance visas, naturalization and other immigration programs. Like other USCIS proposals, there is a 60-day comment period ending July 5 that’s open to the public.

What are your thoughts on a potential increase on filing fees? Voice your opinion here.

Originally published at www.visanow.com on May 11, 2016.