Posted on Feb 7, 2023
Immigration fees may go up and green card applicants could be hard hit
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https://www.npr.org/2023/02/07/ [login to see] /immigration-fees-uscis-green-card-applicants-hard-hit
After two decades of waiting, Patricia Ramirez of New Mexico was filled with joy when she finally became eligible for a green card a few months ago. To Ramirez, who came to the U.S. undocumented, becoming a lawful permanent resident would give her more security living in the U.S., allow her to visit her family in Mexico, and put her one step closer to becoming a U.S. citizen.
Now, the main obstacle getting in her way is the cost of applications. Ramirez, a house cleaner, has been saving for months to afford the $2,225 in fees for a green card and other forms. Under a new federal proposal, her paperwork may become even more expensive.
"It's already been a very difficult process, difficult to get information, difficult to save money," Ramirez told NPR. "I'm so worried and stressed about this and what sacrifices I'll have to make to afford this."
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that oversees legal immigration, is planning to raise costs for an array of applications including ones required for citizenship naturalization, to obtain a green card, or to legally work in the U.S. as a noncitizen.
After two decades of waiting, Patricia Ramirez of New Mexico was filled with joy when she finally became eligible for a green card a few months ago. To Ramirez, who came to the U.S. undocumented, becoming a lawful permanent resident would give her more security living in the U.S., allow her to visit her family in Mexico, and put her one step closer to becoming a U.S. citizen.
Now, the main obstacle getting in her way is the cost of applications. Ramirez, a house cleaner, has been saving for months to afford the $2,225 in fees for a green card and other forms. Under a new federal proposal, her paperwork may become even more expensive.
"It's already been a very difficult process, difficult to get information, difficult to save money," Ramirez told NPR. "I'm so worried and stressed about this and what sacrifices I'll have to make to afford this."
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal agency that oversees legal immigration, is planning to raise costs for an array of applications including ones required for citizenship naturalization, to obtain a green card, or to legally work in the U.S. as a noncitizen.
Immigration fees may go up and green card applicants could be hard hit
Posted from npr.orgPosted in these groups: 
Immigration
Citizenship
Immigration Citizenship
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."The federal agency says it needs the increased fees to deal with backlogs and a budget crunch
USCIS primarily relies on fees to operate — which proved to be an issue during the pandemic.
As fewer people applied for immigration benefits, the federal agency's revenue plummeted, leading to widespread furloughs and a backlog in immigration cases.
To fully recover, the federal agency said it needs to raise application fees, adding that the proposed prices are expected to generate $1.9 billion more per year than current application costs.
"This is the amount necessary to match agency capacity with projected workloads, so that backlogs do not accumulate in the future," USCIS wrote in its proposal released in early January.
The federal agency generally updates its fee schedule every few years, the last time being 2016. During the Trump administration, there was an attempt to raise costs dramatically, as well make it harder for poor immigrants to qualify for fee waivers, but federal judges eventually blocked those changes."...
..."The federal agency says it needs the increased fees to deal with backlogs and a budget crunch
USCIS primarily relies on fees to operate — which proved to be an issue during the pandemic.
As fewer people applied for immigration benefits, the federal agency's revenue plummeted, leading to widespread furloughs and a backlog in immigration cases.
To fully recover, the federal agency said it needs to raise application fees, adding that the proposed prices are expected to generate $1.9 billion more per year than current application costs.
"This is the amount necessary to match agency capacity with projected workloads, so that backlogs do not accumulate in the future," USCIS wrote in its proposal released in early January.
The federal agency generally updates its fee schedule every few years, the last time being 2016. During the Trump administration, there was an attempt to raise costs dramatically, as well make it harder for poor immigrants to qualify for fee waivers, but federal judges eventually blocked those changes."...
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