Proposed Green Card Fee Increases: Why Are You Waiting?

U.S. Immigration Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposes increasing filing fees for many immigration services, with significant increases for many employment-based petitions. On January 3, 2023, USCIS proposed increased fees for some naturalization and immigration services. USCIS’s current green card fee has not changed since 2016 and falls far short of recovering the full cost of agency operations. In announcing the fee increase, USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou said:

“In addition to improving customer service operations and managing the incoming workload, USCIS must continue to fulfill our growing humanitarian mission, upholding fairness, integrity and respect for all we serve. This proposed rule allows USCIS to more fully recover operating costs for the first time in six years and will support the administration’s effort to rebuild the legal immigration system.” 

The legally required 60-day public comment period began January 4 and will continue through March 6, 2023. If approved, these fees could go into effect as early as May 2023.

Proposed Family-Based Fee Increases

• N-400 naturalization application from $640 to $760
• Adjustment Of Status from $1,760 to $3,500
• Bundled AOS application (including the I-485, I-131, and I-765) would increase from $1,225 to $2,820
  • Require separate filing fees for Form I-131 and Form I-765 when filed in conjunction with adjustment of status (Form I-485)
  • Eliminate the I-485 Discount for Children
• I-140 immigrant visa petitions from $700 to $715
• I-130 Immediate Relative Petition from $535 to $820 for paper filings, or to $710 if the petition is filed online
• An additional $600 “asylum program fee” for certain I-129 nonimmigrant petitions and I-140 immigrant petitions

Proposed Employment-Based Fee Increases

• H-1B cap registration fee from its current $10 to $215: more than 2,000%
• H-1B filing fee: $780: 70% increase
• L-1 filing fee: $1,385: 200% increase
• E and TN filing fee: $1,015: 120% increase
• I-526E investor applications from $3,675 to $11,160:
• I-829 petitions from $3,835 to $9,525:
• I-485 application for adjustment of status: $1,540: 35% increase
• Petition by an investor to remove conditions on permanent residence: $9,525: 150% increase

The proposed fee change includes other USCIS immigration processing changes:

• Premium processing service would change from 15 calendar days to 15 business days, defined as the days the federal government is open for business, which does not include weekends or federally observed holidays. This could add a one to two-week delay to case processing.
• Remove the separate biometric services fee and include it as part of the main benefit fee, which will impact seniors applying for citizenship.
• Eliminate the fee waiver to file Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) and Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document) for applicants with a pending I-485 application.

Why Wait? File For Your Green Card or Naturalization TODAY

Contact A Cook and DuPage Immigration Attorney Today

With immigration and green card fees likely increasing in 2023, NOW is the time to file for your green card or citizenship. The immigration process can be long and stressful, so it is important to choose an attorney with experience. Mario Godoy and the experienced immigration attorneys at Godoy Law Office can assess your immigration application status. We have experience in many different types of immigration cases and understand the impact of new and changing immigration regulations.

Start your immigration journey TODAY. Please call 630-912-0322 or reach out to us online today to schedule your initial consultation.