USCIS Approves Increase in Fees for Immigration

On Tuesday June 8th the United States Government approved new price structures for the processing of citizenship and visitor visas to the United States.

The announcement was made on June 8th despite continuous criticisms from immigration organizations and immigration advocates in the US. The office of citizenship and immigration services (USCIS) justified the decision by maintaining that there was an imbalance between the costs and revenue involved in processing immigration cases.

Services That Cost More?
According to the new United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) the price to replace a Permanent Residency Card (Green Card) has increased from $290 to $365 and the price for processing a work permit has increased to $380 from $340.

The new price for the temporary resident status increases from $710 to $1,130 and foreign business people who apply for an immigrant visa will have to pay $1,500, an increase of $65 over the current price. Travel documents will increase by $55 and adoption applications will increase from $670 to $720.

The new price structures also incorporate reductions in prices for five types of immigrant applications. These include the spouse visa, the change of status (temporary to permanent) and other immigrant applications related to family reunification.

The application for residency will not increase in price and will remain at the same price established in 2007. This information was announced in a press release by Alejandro Mayorkas, Director of USCIS.

The Citizenship Office is accepting comments from the public from June 11 until July 26th. If you wish to leave a comment or observation about these price changes you can do so here: http://www.regulations.gov

The Most Expensive Visas

The new price changes also affect non-immigrant visas, whose price remains at $150 for documents including:

H Visa:  : for temporary workers and people involved in entertainment
L  Visa: for business people needing to move within the same company (aka inter company transfer visa)
O Visa: for foreigners with special talents and abilities
P Visa: for athletes and artists
Q Visa: for international cultural exchange programs
R Visas: for members of religions

Other types of visas Affected
The following tourist visa prices have been set at $140:

B1 and B2 Visas: for tourists and business visitors
F Visa: for foreigners who want to study or research in a higher education institution in the USA
M Visa: for language students and students inscribed in a professional training program (non-academic or vocational)

For more information about these price increases please visit The Whitehouse website of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Phelps Immigration Attorneys offers an expert visa application service to visitors and immigrants to the US. If you have doubts or questions about the appropriate visa for you or the supporting documentation then contact us  for a personalized and stress-free service.