The recent adjustments to fees for immigration benefit petitions and applications are final, according to a statement from the US Citizenship and Services agency. The statement revealed that an average weighted increase of as much as 21 percent will be incorporated into the majority of such petitions and applications.
The fees will cover the expenditure of the agency relating to enhancing national security and the detection of fraud, as well as in processing cases, improved customer service, and provision of free services to asylum seekers and immigrant refugees in the US. The fees will also help applicants who qualify for waived fees and other exemptions.
The fee for Form N-400, known as the Application for Naturalization, will increase from $595 to $640, a rise of $45. The fee for the Application for Certificate of Citizenship, Form N-600, will increase to $1170 from the current cost of $500. Form N-600K, the Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate under Section 322, will rise to $1170 from $600. A new fee will be required for the Annual Certification of Regional Center, Form 1-92A, costing $3035.
Much of the expense incurred by USCIS is subsidized by the collection of such fees, although the agency is not allowed to adjust prices without prior notice, even in the face of rising costs. They are required by law to review fees once every two years to determine any necessary alterations to their level of funding.