Many people do not understand how expensive it is to immigrate to America. The government requires people to file certain immigration forms, and many of those forms include a fee. These expenses quickly add up and can cost individuals, families and businesses a lot of money.
If the current White House follows through with its plans, these fees will soon become significantly more expensive.
Many immigration fees are set to increase
In November of 2019, the federal government issued a notice. This notice explained that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) planned to change the fees for many immigration forms, including some forms that are very popular. In most cases, these fees would be getting more expensive.
These fee increases may impact many types of immigration forms. Here are some common examples showing the current cost and what it might change to.
- DACA renewal: $495 to $765
- N-400 application for naturalization: $640 to $1,170
- I-765 work permit: $410 to $4 60+
- Asylum applications: $0 to $50
- H-1B work visas: $460 to $560
- Form I-881 application for suspension of deportation: $285 to $1,800
These examples are just some of the proposed fee changes.
When will these new fees take effect?
DHS allowed the public to comment on its proposal through Dec. 30, 2019. After that, the agency is supposed to take some time to go over all of the submissions. That could take weeks or even months. At that point, DHS could submit a final rule change – and these new fees would likely go into effect 60 days from whenever that happens.
This means it will likely be some time before the new fees become a reality. However, that is not a guarantee. In addition, DHS could choose to alter its proposed fee changes, or even cancel its plan altogether.
If you are planning to file an immigration form, it may be smart to consider your options sooner, not later. Otherwise, it may be far more expensive than you had expected.
