Immigration Attorney
Services & Fees

Feb 3rd 2004

Today, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to increase immigration application and petition fees.

The rule also proposes to adjust the fee for capturing biometric information of applicants and petitioners who apply for certain immigration benefits, such as adjustment to permanent resident status.

The rule proposes to adjust the fees to ensure sufficient funding to adjudicate immigration applications and petitions.

Fees collected from immigration applications and petitions are used to fund the overall cost of providing immigration benefits, as well as the cost of providing benefits to asylum and refugee applicants at no charge.

In addition, the USCIS seeks to recover the costs of security enhancements, and to recover the annual cost of litigation settlements.

According to the proposed rule, immigration application and petition fees will increase by approximately $55.

For example, the proposed filing fee for H-1B and L-1 petitions will increase from $130 to $185 per petition.

The USCIS fee to recover the operating expenses of its fingerprinting program, which includes the capability to electronically capture and retain necessary biometrics (photo, signature, fingerprints) will increase from $50 to $70 per applicant.

The fee increases are only proposed, and have not taken effect. We will provide further information as it becomes available.