The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has significantly increased filing fees for work visas and green cards.
This change comes after seven years with no fee adjustments and aims to address financial shortfalls within the agency. USCIS relies heavily on filing fees for its funding, with only a minimal portion coming from congressional appropriations. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a decline in immigration filings, leading to a revenue decrease of up to 40% at one point. USCIS implemented the new fee structure To compensate for this lost income and address a growing backlog of cases.
The increased fees are expected to generate additional revenue to cover operational costs and improve processing efficiency. Employers who sponsor foreign workers and immigration attorneys have been anticipating these changes as the federal government announced the planned hikes over a year ago. Some of the notable fee changes include an increase for the H-1B visa petition from $460 to $780 and a surge in the H-1B registration fee from $10 to $215.
Additionally, a new $600 Asylum Program Fee has been introduced which companies must pay when submitting employment-based petitions. This specific fee has drawn criticism from some immigration attorneys who believe it unfairly burdens businesses that may not have the financial capacity for such an additional cost. Despite concerns regarding the fee hikes, a recent survey by the law firm BAL indicated that 57% of employers don’t anticipate the increased costs to significantly hinder their ability to conduct business internationally.
The green card application fee has also risen from $1,225 to $1,440, representing a jump of over 17%. Furthermore, green card applicants now face additional filing fees for both interim work authorization and interim work permits. This information is particularly relevant considering recent data from Statista which indicates that approximately 1.02 million immigrants obtained permanent residency through green cards in fiscal year 2022. The fee increase will undoubtedly impact many hopeful immigrants seeking to establish permanent residence in the United States.
