It’s not really the October surprise but a long time coming. Last year, the agency proposed atrocious fee increases across for various immigration applications, which are now going into effect starting October 2, 2020.
Fees for adjustment of status filings (green cards) would sky-rocket from the current $1760 to around $2900 if persons want interim benefits such as work and travel authorization. Fees for filing for naturalization will increase to $1,170. Due to ongoing litigation, fees for DACA will remain the same, though the program will only do one-year work permit renewals moving forward. A complete list of fee increases is here.
If you and your loved ones will be impacted negatively, we suggest filing your respective applications before this new deadline.
[…] The Trump administration has increased many immigration application fees, especially on first-time asylum and naturalization applications. The increase has shifted the cost for naturalization from an original $715 to $1,160. Further, there is now a $50 application fee for asylum seekers. The USCIS has stated that the new naturalization cost reflects overhead fees and has no correlation with their recent budget shortfalls. Both the asylum fee and the naturalization fee will undergo the changes as of October 2, 2020. It should be noted that along with these increases there have also been fee reductions as the $275 proposed DACA fee was removed and the USCIS lowered proposed genealogy fees. You can see a full list of the changes here, or read our latest news on this topic on the Lal Legal bulletin. […]