The Director of the USCIS, Emilio Gonzalez, stated in an interview with the New York Times that USCIS may soon raise USCIS fees to cover the cost of processing applications. However, he did not indicate which applications and petitions would be affected. No clues about the adjustment magnitude are available at the moment when the report is written. We will monitor this move closely in the future.

The USCIS has raised fees several times in the last few years. It is noted that there have been improvements in service, with respect to the processing times of many types of applications. In fact, USCIS adjusted application fees about once every other year. In 2004, USCIS raised fees at a range of $50-$65. In 2005, applicants saw another adjustment of $5 to $20 on many applications.

Historically, USCIS fees increases have covered a wide spectrum of applications and petitions. The increase generally is published as a proposed rule in the Federal Register, afforded time for public comment, and then implemented as a final rule. As of this writing, the USCIS has not issued a proposed fee increase. Applications and petitions requiring filing fees must be submitted with the correct fee in order to be accepted for filing, otherwise one risks losing legal status in the U.S. for failure to file the extension or change of status in a timely manner. It is always best to check for proper filing fees before submitting a petition.

We will closely monitor the progress on this issue and post the updates at the first time.