NEWS: UNITED STATES

USCIS increases filing fees

Filing fees increased for the first time since 2010. Leon Rodriguez, the Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), stated that the increase is necessary for the organization to continue to serve its customers. The fees cover case processing, customer service, fraud detection, national security, and the services provided to applicants that are eligible for fee waivers, among other aspects.

A few of the raised petition fees are:

  • I-129 petition for a nonimmigrant worker will increase from $325 to $460;
  • I-130 petition for an alien relative will rise from $420 to $535;
  • I-140 immigrant petition for an alien worker will increase from $580 to $700; and
  • The N-400 application for naturalization will rise from $595 to $640.

USCIS reviews and determines filing fees every two years to regulate the revenue necessary to continue supporting its efforts. You can see the fee schedule here. This increase will be in effect as of December 23, 2016. All applications must include the appropriate fees at the time of filing.