USCIS TO RAISE FILING FEES STARTING OCTOBER 2

Taking effect Oct. 2, USCIS has published a final rule significantly increasing its fees for most immigration and work applications. The applications for interim work and travel authorization are no longer free as before, for a net increase of $1,000 for adults. Asylum applications, previously free, now cost $50, and a work card for asylum applicant costs $550. Naturalization applications have increased $500 to $1,170.

According to the USCIS announcement, the new fees, which are assessed by law every two years, are unrelated to the agency’s current budget shortfall. The naturalization fee will represent the full cost to process the application, the agency says, plus a proportional share of overhead costs.