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).
2 minutes ago
New paper-based device to make on-spot glucose testing using smartphone
3 minutes ago
Bird flu outbreak reported at Bulgarian farm
5 minutes ago
KGMU to revive its kidney transplant programme
5 minutes ago
From superfood millet to finding inner peace: PM Modi's key lifestyle mantras for Bill Gates
6 minutes ago
IPL 2024: 'Riyan Parag can give something special to Indian cricket', says Sanju Samson
8 minutes ago
Ousted AIFF legal advisor writes to PMO flagging 'women’s safety' at federation HQs
9 minutes ago
Rajasthan Cricket Association executive dissolved; Ad-hoc committee formed
9 minutes ago
Osaka confirms first clay court season since 2022, takes wild card into Rouen
10 minutes ago
Dimitrov ends Alcaraz' chances of 'Sunshine Double' in Miami
1 hour ago
Pakistan to tour Ireland first time since 2018 for T2OI series in May
1 hour ago
IPL 2024: 'Nortje is going to keep getting better', says DC bowling coach Hopes after 12-run loss to RR
1 hour ago
Tamannaah all praise for designer Rahul Mishra; says his “creativity is pure genius”
1 hour ago
Utpal Dutt: The professor-playwright who became a comic star, chilling villain in Bollywood and Tollywood