Don't be tricked by misleading online businesses and fees!!

In recent weeks, USCIS has received a large number of applications prepared by an online business that charges users to complete their USCIS forms. In most cases, the charge for preparing an application is the same as the USCIS filing fee. When applicants pay these businesses online using an electronic check, the applicant is only paying for the service provided to prepare the application, and not the actual USCIS filing fee. As a result, applicants are attaching a copy of a cashed electronic check when mailing their applications to USCIS. Because the applicant has not paid the USCIS filing fee, USCIS cannot process these applications and must return them to applicant.

We would like to urge applicants to carefully read the user agreements provided by non-government websites. This information should help the applicant determine what services he or she is paying the online service provider for and minimize the possibility that the application will be rejected for the reasons noted above.

Reminders to applicants to avoid:
  • Dot.com websites that identify themselves as being an official government website. (Remember: Official government websites always include ".gov" not ".com" in the web address)
  • Websites that charge applicants for blank USCIS forms. These forms can be found FREE of charge to download at the USCIS website. 
Unlike paying a fee to a dot.com to fill out an immigration form yourself, fees paid to an attorney office are for the services provided to prepare and follow up on your case. 

Source: USCIS

For more information, please contact our office:
Sharlene Mae Bagon, Esq.
BAGON LAW FIRM
21550 Oxnard Street, 3rd Floor
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
Main: (818) 224-6632
Direct: (818) 530-0120
Fax: (888) 589-0804

Popular posts from this blog

USCIS PREDICTS 2014 H-1B CAP TO BE FILLED BY APRIL 5, 2013.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on March 15, 2013 that it will begin accepting H-1B petitions subject to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 cap on Monday, April 1, 2013. Cases will be considered accepted on the date that USCIS receives a properly filed petition for which the correct fee has been submitted; not the date that the petition is postmarked. The cap (the numerical limitation on H-1B petitions) for FY 2014 is 65,000. In addition, the first 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of individuals with U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the fiscal year cap of 65,000. Based on feedback from a number of stakeholders, USCIS anticipates that it may receive more petitions than the H-1B cap between April 1, 2013 and April 5, 2013 .  USCIS will monitor the number of petitions received and notify the public of the date on which the numerical limit of the H-1B cap has been met. This date is known as the final receipt date.  I...
Read more

Visa Processing Fees to Change on April 13, 2012

Effective April 13, 2012, the Department of State will adjust visa processing fees. The fees for most nonimmigrant visa applications and Border Crossing Cards will increase, while all immigrant visa processing fees will decrease. The Department is required to recover, as far as possible, the cost of processing visas through the collection of application fees. For a number of reasons, the current fees no longer cover the actual cost of processing nonimmigrant visas. The nonimmigrant visa fee increase will support the addition and expansion of overseas facilities, as well as additional staffing required to meet increased visa demand. Although most categories of nonimmigrant visa processing fees will increase, the fee for E visas (treaty-traders and treaty-investors) and K visas (for fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens) will decrease. Nonimmigrant Visa Processing Fees Type of Visa Previous Fee New Fee Tourist, Business, Transit,...
Read more

Changes to Stand-Alone I-130 Filing Locations

USCIS Announces Changes to Stand-Alone I-130 Filing Locations Published Dec. 23, 2011; revised Jan. 1, 2012 WASHINGTON – On January 1, 2012, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) changed the filing locations for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative.  Domestic petitioners will now mail their stand-alone I-130 applications to either the Chicago Lockbox or the Phoenix Lockbox, depending on their residence in the United States.  Updated filing addresses are available at this link: Form I-130 Direct Filing Locations .  This effort will balance workloads between the two locations and provide more efficient and effective processing of Form I-130.  There will be no change in filing locations when submitting Form I-130 along with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Individuals filing these forms together will continue to mail them to the Chicago Lockbox facility. Petitioners filing from overseas addresses...
Read more