Priority processing fees (immigration forms) will be adjusted “for inflation,” the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Wednesday, December 27, 2023.
Form I-765 for work authorization is one of those that will see an increase, explained Diario Las Américas.
USCIS is launching an online form to request in-person appointments at its offices across the United States
Why the rise of USCIS
The US agency said on its website that the USCIS Stabilization Act sets current priority processing rates and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the authority to adjust priority processing rates every two years.
After leaving these fees unchanged for three years following the law's passage, DHS has now increased the priority processing fees USCIS charges on all eligible forms and categories to reflect average inflation from June 2021 to June 2023 as measured by the Consumer Price Index urban consumers.
The revenue generated by this adjustment, according to Diario Las Américas, will be used to improve priority processing services, improve decision-making processes and meet decision-making requirements, with the aim of reducing delays in processing benefit applications. USCIS also plans to use these revenues to fund jurisdictional and naturalization services.
What will be the increase in USCIS forms?
The adjustment increases certain priority processing fees from $1,500 to $1,685, from $1,750 to $1,965 and from $2,500 to $2,805.
The full table of adjusted rates reflects the following:
- Form I-129, Nonimmigrant Petition
- Form I-140, Foreign Migrant Worker Petition
- Form I-539, Application for Extension/Change of Nonimmigrant Status and
- Form I-765, Application for Work Authorization
Taken from uscis.gov Photo: PanoSupport
This is the little-known USCIS program for obtaining permanent residency in the United States
When does the USCIS increase take effect?
The tariff change will come into effect on February 26, 2024.
USCIS notes that if they receive a Form I-907 with the incorrect filing fee on or after February 26, 2024, they will reject the Form I-907 and refund the filing fee.
For shipments sent via commercial courier (e.g. UPS, FedEx and DHL), the postmark date will be the date indicated on the courier company's receipt.
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