Photo designed by Freepik |
On January 31st 2024, USCIS announced important updates regarding certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees. These changes took effect on April 1st of this year. More specifically, the fees for many immigration applications have increased and affected family-based immigration applications fees. Namely, application fees for Forms I-130, I-129F, and I-485 (among some other applications stated on the USCIS website’s Q&A page for fee rule), have substantially increased, while other fees have decreased. Only a handful of application fees have not changed.
Below is a chart of the fee forms that our office primarily handles, containing both the previous fees prior to the final USCIS rule, and the new fees.
Table key: Blue = decreased; Red = increased
| Type of Filing | Previous Fee(s) | New Fee(s) | Difference ($) | Difference (%) |
| I-90: Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (online filing) | $455 | $415 | -$40 | -9% |
| I-90: Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (online filing) (with biometric services) | $540 | $415 | -$125 | -23% |
| I-90: Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (paper filing) | $455 | $465 | $10 | 2% |
| I-90: Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (paper filing) (with biometric services) | $540 | $465 | -$75 | -14% |
| I-129F: Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) | $535 | $675 | $140 | 26% |
| I-130: Petition of Alien Relative (online filing) | $535 | $625 | $90 | 17% |
| I-130: Petition for Alien Relative (paper filing) | $535 | $675 | $140 | 26% |
| I-131: Application for Travel Document | $575 | $630 | $55 | 10% |
| I-131: Application for Travel Document (with biometric services) | $660 | $630 | -$30 | -5% |
| I-131: Refugee Travel Document for an individual age 16 or older | $135 | $165 | $30 | 22% |
| I-131: Refugee Travel Document for an individual age 16 or older (with biometric services) | $220 | $165 | -$55 | -25% |
| I-131: Refugee Travel Document for a child under the age of 16 | $105 | $135 | $30 | 29% |
| I-131: Refugee Travel Document for a child under the age of 16 (with biometric services) | $190 | $135 | -$55 | -29% |
| I-360: Petition for Amerasian Window(er), or Special Immigrant | $435 | $515 | $80 | 18% |
| I-485: Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (with biometric services) | $1,225 | $1,440 | $215 | 18% |
| I-485: Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (under the age of 14 in certain conditions) | $750 | $950 | $200 | 27% |
| I-539: Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (online filing) | $370 | $420 | $50 | 14% |
| I-539: Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (online filing) (with biometric services) | $455 | $420 | -$35 | -8% |
| I-539: Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (paper filing) | $370 | $470 | $100 | 27% |
| I-539: Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (paper filing) (with biometric services) | $455 | $470 | $15 | 3% |
| I-751: Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence | $595 | $750 | $155 | 26% |
| I-751: Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (with biometric services) | $680 | $750 | $70 | 10% |
| I-765: Application for Employment Authorization (online filing) | $410 | $470 | $60 | 15% |
| I-765: Application for Employment Authorization (online filing) (with biometric services) | $495 | $470 | -$25 | -5% |
| I-765: Application for Employment Authorization (paper filing) | $410 | $520 | $110 | 27% |
| I-765: Application for Employment Authorization (paper filing) (with biometric services) | $495 | $520 | $25 | 5% |
| N-400: Application for Naturalization (online filing) | $640 | $710 | $70 | 11% |
| N-400: Application for Naturalization (online filing) (with biometric services) | $725 | $710 | -$15 | -2% |
| N-400: Application for Naturalization (paper filing) | $640 | $760 | $120 | 19% |
| N-400: Application for Naturalization (paper filing) (with biometric services) | $725 | $760 | $35 | 5% |
| N-400: Application for Naturalization (applicants with household income between 150 and 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG)) | $320 | $380 | $60 | 19% |
| N-400: Application for Naturalization (applicants with household income between 150 and 400% of the FPG) (with biometric services) | $405 | $380 | -$25 | -6% |
Fee Waivers
Although many fees have been reduced, some are not waived nor exempted. For example, forms that may be filed online have a $50 discount except under certain circumstances. These exceptions include if a form is already discounted at a significant price, or if the law prohibits USCIS from charging a full cost recovery level fee. Applicants seeking adjustment of status will pay $260 for Form I-765 if they already paid the full fee for a concurrently filed or pending adjustment application, if Form I-485 has been filed on or after April 1st of this year, and while it is still pending. Finally, applicants filing Form N-400 for naturalization with incomes between 150% and 400% of the federal poverty guidelines will pay $380 (half of the full fee).
USCIS has also enacted the existing fee waivers eligibility for low-income, as well as other vulnerable people, into the final rule. Most notably, fee waivers can now be used by applicants who receive means-tested benefits, have an income at or below 150% of the poverty guidelines, or applicants with extreme financial hardship. Form I-912 or a written request for fee waiver with eligibility documentation should be submitted. In addition, applicants should NOT be submitting a fee when requesting a fee waiver, as USCIS will process the fee and not consider the fee waiver request. Applicants can look at the forms eligible for fee waiver requests and fee exemption on the USCIS website under the “Fee Exemptions and Fee Waivers Chart”.
There is no longer a separate $85 fee for biometric services, however Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and EOIR filings do have a reduced biometric fee of $30. Otherwise, biometric costs are distributed within requests that require biometric services. These services include storage and maintenance of biometrics information, obtaining background checks, operating the application support centers, identifying verification, and creating secure documents.
Finally, filing fees for TPS and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) have not changed, with TPS Form I-821 costing $50, and DACA Form I-821D costing $85. However, the new fees for the employment authorization form that accompanies both of these applications apply, and applicants may submit a fee waiver request for their paper filing of their employment authorization that goes along their TPS application.
Contact Wilson Immigration today for help with your immigration application. 415-527-5886.