Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 19 state attorneys general to file an amicus brief in federal district court supporting legal efforts to immediately block a new federal rule that dramatically increases fees for immigration-related applications. In some cases, the rule arbitrarily increases fees by up to 546%. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is scheduled to increase fees on immigration applications that go into effect on October 2, including:
• Applying for U.S. citizen will increase 81% more to $1170
• U visa application fee increase from $230 to $1,485 – a 546% increase.
• H-1B increase of 21% to $555
• Requesting genealogy records increases 300%
• New $50 fee for asylum seekers
• 34% increase for I-765 Employment Authorization Documents to $550
In announcing the lawsuit to block USCIS immigration fee increases, on September 9 Raoul said,
“Although the new rule was published just last month, it is more of the same discriminatory, anti-immigrant policies we have unfortunately become accustomed to seeing over the last few years. I will not stop fighting for immigrant families and the important contributions they make to states such as Illinois.”
Chicago immigration attorney Mario Godoy is advising immigrants to file their immigration applications now before fees are scheduled to increase in October:
“The new immigration fees are going to make it difficult for many people to apply for visas, residency, citizenship and other benefits. If you plan to file for immigration benefits, you should consider filing now – before the new fee increases go into effect on October 2.”
United States immigration laws can be extraordinarily complicated. A small mistake on an application can lead to years of delays to citizenship and even outright denials and deportation. Your decision to hire an experienced immigration lawyer can save you time, money and stress – and make the difference between your immigration application being denied or approved. Contact Godoy Law Office, our skilled immigration lawyers in Chicago, Lombard and Oak Brook can answer any questions about immigration and guide you through every step of the process.
Godoy Law Office serves the entire Chicago, Illinois area including DuPage, Cook, Kane, Will, and Lake Counties.
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