USCIS Announces Increase in Filing Fees Effective April 1, 2024 — Visa Lawyer Blog — February 1, 2024
On January 30, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule in the Federal Register making significant fee increases for various immigration applications and benefit requests. This fee increase will be the first major adjustment in the filing fees since 2016. The increase is meant to address the agency’s operational and financial challenges to support the timely processing of new applications.
The fee increase will take effect starting April 1, 2024. All applications postmarked after this date will be subject to the fee increases in the final rule.
TIP: To avoid paying the higher fees, USCIS must receive applications before April 1, 2024.
Highlights
- Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative), used to petition for family members, including marriage green cards, will increase by 26% to $675 for paper filing, and $625 for online filers.
- Form I-129F (Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)), used by U.S. Citizens to petition for their fiancé(e) to enter the U.S., will increase by 26 percent from $535 to $675
- Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), used by immigrants seeking a green card for permanent residency, will increase by 18% from $1,225 to $1,440. Employment authorization, and advance parole, will now cost an additional $260 and $630, respectively. Previously these applications carried no additional cost when filing them alongside adjustment of status applications
- The H-1B cap electronic registration fee will increase to $215 per registration, but the fee will remain at $10 per registration for the fiscal year 2025 cap registration period, which runs from March 6 to March 22, 2024.
- The fee for an H-1B petition will increase from $460 to $780.
- The Premium Processing timeframe will extend to fifteen business days to process petitions and applications, as opposed to the previous fifteen calendar days.
- Immigrant benefit requests will incorporate biometric services fees
- Employers with 25 or fewer equivalent employees, nonprofits meeting the definition in the Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3), government research organizations, and educational institutions will pay discounted fees.
- USCIS will allow lower filing fees for some immigration benefit requests filed online instead of on paper.
- A $600 fee will be required for employment-based applications (Forms I-129 and I-140). Small employers and nonprofits will pay a discounted $300 filing fee.
- The previously bundled adjustment of status application (Form I-485) filing fee will now be a standalone filing fee. Applicants who wish to file for an employment authorization document (EAD) application (Form I-765) alongside their adjustment of status application will incur a $260 filing fee. Applicants who wish to file an advance parole (AP) application (Form I-131) alongside their adjustment of status application will incur a $630 filing fee for adjudication.
Filing Fee Increases
The chart below outlines the new increased application filing fees for the most impacted immigration benefits. For the complete fee schedule, please click here.
- I-129 H-1B: Current Fee $460 Final Fee: $780
- I-129 H-2A Named Beneficiaries Current Fee $460 Final Fee $1,090
- I-129 H-2A Named Beneficiaries (Small Employers and Nonprofits) Current Fee $460 Final Fee $545
- I-129 H-2B Named Beneficiaries Current Fee: $460 Final Fee: $1,080
- I-129 Petition for L Nonimmigrant Workers Current Fee: $460 Final Fee: $1,385
- I-129 Petition for L Nonimmigrant Workers (Small Employers and Nonprofits) Current Fee: $460 Final Fee: $695
- I-129 Petition for O Nonimmigrants Current Fee: $460 Final Fee: $1,055
- I-129 Petition for O Nonimmigrants (Small Employers and Nonprofits) Current Fee: $460 Final Fee: $530
- I-129, for E, H-3, P, Q, R, or TN Current Fee $460 Final Fee: $1,015
- I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) Current Fee: $535 Final Fee: $675
- I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (Online Filing) Current Fee: $535 Final Fee: $625
- I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (Paper Filing) Current Fee: $535 Final Fee: $675
- Form I-192 Application for Advance Permission to Enter as Nonimmigrant (CBP) Current Fee: $585 Final Fee: $1,100
- Form I-212 Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the U.S. After Deportation or Removal Current Fee: $930 Final Fee: $1,175
- I-290B Notice of Appeal or Motion Current Fee: $675 Final Fee: $800
- I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Green Card) Current Fee: $1,140 Final Fee: $1,440
- I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Green Card with Biometric Services) Current Fee: $1,225 Final Fee: $1,440
- I-765 Application for Employment Authorization (EAD) filed alongside Adjustment of Status application will now incur a $260 Fee (previously this was no cost)
- I-131 Application for Travel Document (AP) filed alongside Adjustment of Status application will now incur a $630 filing fee (previously this was no cost)
- I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (Online Filing) Current Fee: $370 Final Fee: $420
- I-539 Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (Paper Filing) Current Fee: $370 Final Fee: $470
- I-526/I-526E Immigrant Petition by Standalone/Regional Center Current Fee: $3,675 Final Fee: $11,160
- I-601A Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver Current Fee: $630 Final Fee: $795
- I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence Current Fee: $595 Final Fee $750
- I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (with Biometric Services) Current Fee: $680 Final Fee: $750
- I-829 Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions Current Fee: $3,750 Final Fee: $9,525
- I-829 Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions (with Biometric Services) Current Fee: $3,835 Final Fee: $9,525
- N-400 Application for Naturalization (Paper Filing) Current Fee: $640 Final Fee: $760
- N-400 Application for Naturalization (Paper Filing) (with Biometric Services) Current Fee: $725 Final Fee: $760
- H-1B Registration Processing Fee Current Fee: $10 Final Fee: $215
For more information, please click here.
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