Immigration
USCIS Proposes to Adjust Fees to Meet Operational Needs
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security will publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register to adjust the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Immigration Examinations Fee Account fee schedule.
Fees collected and deposited into the IEFA fund nearly 96% of USCIS’ budget. Unlike most government agencies, USCIS is fee-funded. Federal law requires USCIS to conduct biennial fee reviews and recommend necessary fee adjustments to ensure recovery of the full cost of administering the nation’s immigration laws, adjudicating applications and petitions, and providing the necessary infrastructure to support those activities.
“USCIS is required to examine incoming and outgoing expenditures, just like a business, and make adjustments based on that analysis. This proposed adjustment in fees would ensure more applicants cover the true cost of their applications and minimizes subsidies from an already over-extended system,” said Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of USCIS. “Furthermore, the adjudication of immigration applications and petitions requires in-depth screening, incurring costs that must be covered by the agency, and this proposal accounts for our operational needs and better aligns our fee schedule with the costs of processing each request.”
The rule proposes adjusting USCIS IEFA fee schedules by a weighted average increase of 21% to ensure full cost recovery. Current fees would leave the agency underfunded by approximately $1.3 billion per year.
The proposed fee rule accounts for increased costs to adjudicate immigration benefit requests, detect and deter immigration fraud, and thoroughly vet applicants, petitioners, and beneficiaries.
USCIS last updated its fee structure in FY 2017, by a weighted average increase of 21%.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook (/uscis), and LinkedIn (/uscis).
6 hours ago
Indian American Pavan Davuluri Appointed Head of Windows and Surface Devices Teams by Microsoft
6 hours ago
The H-1B lottery will be held by USCIS, and initial registration is closed.
6 hours ago
On International Women's Day, Malabar Gold and Diamonds celebrates with the Indian Women's Club of Northshore, Illinois.
6 hours ago
Rights organizations unite to condemn the surge of Hindu supremacy in the US
8 hours ago
'Unacceptable, unwarranted': India again slams US' remarks on Arvind Kejriwal
8 hours ago
Kerala CPI-M legends' tombs vandalised in Kannur, probe launched
8 hours ago
The journey of Supreme Court and India’s fundamental rights has been a constant struggle: SG Tushar Mehta
9 hours ago
Mumbai doctors save micro-preemie baby born at 23 weeks weighing 620 grams
9 hours ago
New AI tool can predict fatal heart rhythm with 80 pc accuracy
9 hours ago
South Korea to bar intern doctors if they don't register for jobs
9 hours ago
Smart TV shipments drop 16 pc as premium TVs drive growth in India: Report
9 hours ago
New paper-based device to make on-spot glucose testing using smartphone
9 hours ago
Only 4 pc of Indian firms are 'mature' to tackle modern cyber attacks: Report