Effective October 2, 2020 USCIS is changing the filing fees structure for most US immigration related applications, petitions and requests. This covers petitions for work visas like H1-B, applications for permanent residency as well as US naturalizations.
These fee changes include removing of certain fee exemptions, new fees for asylum applicants, and a reduction in fee waivers to help recover the costs of adjudication.
The one exception to the final rule is a $10 discount for applicants submit forms online that are electronically available from USCIS. Given the current distancing due to the pandemic, this not only encourages safety by social distancing but is a secure, efficient, cost-effective and convenient way to submit a request with USCIS.
The past few months have been turbulent for USCIS due to fund shortages and consequent layoffs of its employees. They had appealed to the US Congress for a 1.2 billion bailout and have had to announce furloughs of over 13,000 USCIS employees by end of August.
Given that USCIS sustains on the fees received, the 20% increase calculated by weighted averages is to help in its operational costs, adjudication processes, detect and monitor immigration fraud, support payroll and technology upgrades to ensure smooth online operations.
What Is The USCIS Filing Fee Change Effective October 2, 2020?
The following table shows the fee changes to some of the pertinent immigrant and non-immigrant petitions:
| Immigration Benefit Request | Current Fee | New Fees | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant worker | $460 | $555 | 21% |
| I-90 Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (10% discount for online filing) | $455 | $415 | -9% |
| I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (10% discount for online filing) | $535 | $550 | 3% |
| I-131 Application for Travel Document percent | $575 | $590 | 3% |
| I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker | $700 | $555 | -21% |
| I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence | $1,140 | $1,130 | -1% |
| I-526 Immigrant Petition by Alien Investor | $3,675 | $4,010 | 9% |
| I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (10% discount for online filing) | $370 | $390 | 5% |
| I-765 Application for Employment Authorization | $410 | $550 | 34% |
| N-400 Application for Naturalization (10% discount for online filing) | $640 | $1,170 | 83% |
| Biometric Services | $85 | $30 | -65% |
