U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Announces Final Rule Adjusting Fees for Immigration Benefits

Highlights of the 2010 Final Fee Rule

The final fee rule will increase the average application and petition fees by approximately 10 percent. In recognition of the unique importance of naturalization, the final fee rule contains no increase in the naturalization application fee.

The final fee rule establishes three new fees for:

  • Regional center designation under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program (EB-5);
  • Individuals seeking civil surgeon designation (with an exemption for certain physicians who examine service members, veterans, and their families at U.S. government facilities); and
  • Recovery of the USCIS cost of processing immigrant visas granted by the Department of State.

The final fee rule adjusts fees for the premium processing service. This adjustment will ensure that USCIS can continue to modernize as an efficient and effective organization.

The final fee rule reduces fees for six individual applications and petitions:

  • Petition for Alien FiancĂ© (Form I-129F);
  • Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status (Form I-539);
  • Application to Adjust Status from Temporary to Permanent Resident (Form I-698);
  • Application for Family Unity Benefits (Form I-817);
  • Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document (Form N-565); and
  • Application for Travel Document (Form I-131), when filed for Refugee Travel Document.

The final fee rule eliminates two citizenship-related fees for those service members and veterans of the U.S. armed forces who are eligible to file an Application for Naturalization (Form N-400) with no fee:

  • Request for Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings (Form N-336); and
  • Application for Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-600).

Lastly, the final fee rule expands the availability of fee waivers to new categories, including:

  • Individuals seeking humanitarian parole under an Application for Travel Document (Form I-131);
  • Individuals with any benefit request under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008; and
  • Individuals filing a Notice of Appeal or Motion (Form I-290B) following a denial of any application or petition that did not initially require a fee.

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