President Joe Biden's administration proposed a series of fee increases for some visas and immigration procedures in order to fully recover its operating costs and return to full operation.
The reality behind the increased visa fees is that no increases had been implemented since 2016, and furthermore, there was a drastic reduction in 2020 due to Covid-19. Even with these reasons for the fee increase, many people fear it could affect their access to visas.
However, the proposal seeks to increase, among other things, the prices of employment visas, but will maintain the prices of humanitarian visas and non-immigrant visas.
«"The new fees would allow USCIS to more fully recover its operating costs, restore and maintain timely case processing, and prevent future backlogs," the agency said in a statement Tuesday.
Another major reason is that since 2020, due to closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been "a drastic reduction in new applications, resulting in a temporary drop in revenue," which is why the agency has reduced its ability to adjudicate cases on time, according to USCIS.
The agency did not establish changes to non-immigrant visas, such as B1-B2 tourist visas.
Some visas and procedures that would increase in price:
Some of the most notable changes in the increase in visa and immigration processing prices are those related to skilled workers with H-2A, L or O visas.
H-1B visas, for highly skilled workers, would increase from US$ 460 to US$ 780 once the proposal takes effect.
The H-2A visa, for foreign workers who come to do agricultural work, would increase from US$1,460 to US$1,090, a 1,371% increase.
L-type visas, for workers with specialized knowledge, would increase from US$$ 460 to US$$ 1,385, an increase from 201%
H-3, E (investor), O (persons with extraordinary achievement or ability), P (for renowned individuals, whether athletes or artists), Q (cultural exchange), R (religious workers), or TN (NAFTA Temporary Professionals) visas would increase from US$$ 460 to US$$ 1,015, an increase in the fee of US$1,21%
Investor visa applications could increase from US$ 3,675 to US$ 11,160
The electronic registration fee for the H-1B visa would increase from US$ 10 to 215, a rise from 2050%.
The naturalization process, through form N-400, would go from US$ 640 to US$ 760, an increase of 19%.
The application for permanent residence registration, made using form I-485, would change from US$ 1.140 to US$ 1.540. This form allows verification of whether the person requesting the service is eligible to obtain legal residency or a green card.
USCIS said it would preserve the fee waiver for vulnerable and low-income populations, as is currently the case, in addition to adding new waivers for some humanitarian programs.
USCIS expects that with this proposal it can collect an average of US$5.2 billion per year in fiscal years 2022 and 2023. With the addition of premium processing for some visas, total revenue is projected at US$6.4 billion per year.
The rates will not change immediately, but in about 60 days, until the final rule comes into effect once public comments have been made, which began on January 4 of this year and end on March 6, 2023.
News report compiled using information from: BBC News, USCIS News, Federal Register
