On January 30, 2024, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the adjustment of certain immigration and naturalization filing fees, as well as the revision of certain forms. The full list of the revised forms and fees that will go into effect on April 1st, 2024 can be found in the USCIS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
What You Should Know
- Some fees will remain the same, some will decrease and many others will increase.
- Some forms offer online filing at the USCIS website. Those will have a $50 discount, with a few exceptions.
- Biometric services costs are being incorporated into the main benefit fee. The separate biometric services fee is being removed in most cases.
- Separate filing fees will be required for Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status), Form I-131 (travel document) and Form I-765 (employment authorization), whether or not they are filed together.
- Naturalization applicants filing Form N-400 who have incomes between 150% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines will pay half of the full fee.
- Grace Period: USCIS will accept prior editions of most forms during a grace period from April 1st, 2024 through June 3, 2024. During this period, both previous and new editions of certain forms will be accepted, as long as they are filed with the correct fee.
- There will be no grace period for the following new forms: Form I-129 (Employment-based, nonimmigrant visa petition), Form I-140 (Employment based, immigrant visa petition), Form I-600 (Orphan Petitions) – which must use the new edition form.
- USCIS will use the postmark date (i.e., when the mail carrier received the package) to determine the new fee and new edition, as applicable.
- USCIS will use the received date (i.e., the date when USCIS received the package) for statutory deadlines only.
Below is a selection of the new Immigration and Naturalization Filing Fees. Please refer to the FAQ page for the entire list:
Premium Processing
On December 27, 2023, USCIS also announced filing fees increase for Premium Processing (Form I-907). These changes apply mostly to employment related applications/petitions. Additional information on this change can be found here.
Final Remarks
Every client’s situation is unique. Please contact us to determine if, in your particular situation, it would make sense to file before April 1st, 2024 or not.