ALERT: USCIS FEE INCREASES GO INTO EFFECT (October 2, 2020)

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a new fee schedule, which dramatically increases fees for a number of applications and eliminates fee waiver eligibility for many individuals.  The fee schedule goes into effect on October 2, 2020.  Accordingly, we strongly encourage you to file impacted applications by October 1, 2020, if possible, to ensure that you do not have to pay higher fees.*

Below we have included some of the most notable changes:

• Asylum. For the first time ever, applicants for asylum (Form I-589) must pay a $50 fee. Asylum applicants must also pay a $550 fee when filing for a work authorization document (Form I-765), even for initial applications. 
• Adjustment of Status. An adjustment of status application (Form I-485) currently costs $1,225 for most applicants, which includes the cost of simultaneously filed applications for work authorization (Form I-765) and a travel document (Form I-131). USCIS is separating these applications resulting in the total price of that package increasing to $2,270.
• Naturalization. USCIS will increase the naturalization application (Form N-400) fee from $640 to $1,170.
• Provisional Waivers. The fee for a provisional unlawful presence waiver (Form I–601A) will increase from $630 to $960.
• Fee Waivers.  USCIS has eliminated fee waiver eligibility for most applications and petitions, including asylum applications.

You can view the full text of the fee schedule here.  A table listing the increases begins on page 4 and information on waiver eligibility begins at page 25.

Immigration Equality has been fighting the implementation of this fee schedule through regulatory comments and amicus advocacy (Brief 1 and Brief 2) .  Our coalition partners have filed lawsuits in federal court challenging the increases.  However, unless the court stops implementation of these fees the increase will take place as of October 2, 2020.

*Please note that there may be strategic reasons in your particular case why you should not to file an I-589 asylum application prior to October 2.