Immigration News and Updates
New CIS Filing Fees
As we announced in our most recent immigration update, on April 9, 2004, The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) announced a proposed fee increase for all immigration benefit applications. Yesterday, the CIS announced that this fee increase will be in effect starting April 30, 2004. Any applications received April 30th with the old fees will be returned. All applications would increase by an average of $55. CIS released a schedule of fees, including revised fees for applications for nonimmigrant workers (Form I-129) at $185, employment-based immigrant applications (Form I-140) at $190, applications for travel documents (Form I-131) at $165, applications for employment authorization (Form I-765) at $175, and applications for adjustment of status (Form I-485) at $315.
Federal guidelines require that CIS collect fees, rather than using tax dollars, to recover the costs associated with providing immigration benefits and services. These fees are reviewed every two years. This year the fee increase is to make up for increased costs attributed to comprehensive security enhancements implemented after 9/11. As previously stated, this fee increase aims to deliver a more compassionate, effective, and secure system, as well as to help realize President Bush's goal of a six-month processing time for all immigration benefit applications by the end of financial year 2006.
For more information about this, or other U.S. immigration issues, please contact our Miller Canfield Immigration Practice. This message is for general information only and should not be used as a basis for specific action without obtaining further legal advice.
