Updated March 28, 2024
On January 30, 2024, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it had published a final rule to adopt a new filing fee schedule. This is the first new fee schedule issued by USCIS since 2016. In its Frequently Asked Questions page USCIS has posted a New Fee Schedule Table that lists the old and new fees side by side. Changes of interest include:
A new “asylum program fee” of $600 per I-129 petition and I-140 petition. (Nonprofits and universities are exempt from this fee.)
An attempt to mitigate higher fees for employers by offering special discounts for small employers; for example, a reduced “asylum program fee” of $300. “Small employer” means those with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees.
A $50 discount for those who choose online filing over paper filing, when online filing is offered.
Premium Processing Service timeframes will be counted in business days, not calendar days as before.
Separate fees are established for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, depending on the nonimmigrant classification sought (i.e. H-1B, TN, E-3, etc.).
Separate filing fees will be required for Form I-131 (travel document) and Form I-765 (employment authorization) when filed with Form I-485 (adjustment of status), whether or not they are filed together.
The new fees and rules will become effective on April 1, 2024. There are increases in all application and petition types typically filed in employment-related cases, including Form I-129, petition for nonimmigrant worker; Form I-539, application for change or extension of status; Form I-140, petition for immigrant worker; Form I-485, application to register permanent resident status or to adjust status; and Form I-765, application for employment authorization document.
USCIS warns that applications and petitions postmarked or filed on or after April 1, 2024 must include these new fees. If the new fees are not included with such a submission, it will be rejected.
In addition, revised forms will also become effective on April 1, 2024, along with the new fees. USCIS says it will accept prior editions of most forms during a grace period from April 1, 2024, through June 3, 2024, as long as they are accompanied by the new fee. However, there will be no grace period for some forms, including Form I-129 and Form I-140, because they must be revised with a new fee calculation. Filers must be careful to use the correct forms in each case, as well as to include the correct filing fee.
Government processing of immigration applications and petitions is funded by these user fees and not by taxpayer dollars. These filing fee increases, which in some cases are significant, reflect USCIS's calculation of increases in the work associated with case adjudications and avoiding backlogs.
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