New USCIS Fees Go into Effect on April 1, 2024

by

New USCIS Fees Go into Effect on April 1, 2024

by Lisa York

by Lisa York

Today, USCIS published a new filing fee rule in the Federal Register. In addition to the I-907 premium processing fees increasing on February 26, 2024 (prior fee of $1,500 increases to $1,685, prior fee of $1,750 increases to $1,965, and prior fee of $2,500 to $2,805), the key takeaways are:

  • USCIS will distinguish between large, small, and non-profit petitioners – For I-129 petitions, the filing fee will differ depending on the visa type, the # of full-time employees, and whether the petitioner is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity.  Large employers will pay higher filing fees, while small employers (those with 25 or fewer full-time employees), and non-profits will pay a lower filing fee.
  • Asylum Program Fee – Petitioners filing Forms I-129, I-129CW, and I-140, will be subject to a new “Asylum Program Fee” of $600 ($300 for small employers (25 or fewer full-time employees) and $0 for 501(c)(3) non-profits), in addition to the USCIS filing fee and other required fees (i.e. the training and fraud prevention fee for H-1Bs).  The asylum program fee will fund USCIS implementation of the Procedures for Credible Fear Screening and Consideration of Asylum, Withholding of Removal, and CAT Protection Claims by Asylum Officers (Asylum Processing IFR) (87 FR 18078 Mar. 29, 2022). 
  • Online v. Paper Filing – For Forms I-90, I-130, I-539, N-400, N-336, N-565. N-600, N-600K, I-765, the online filing fee is less than the paper filing fee.
  • De-coupling of the I-485 from the I-765 and the I-131 – USCIS will no longer offer the I-485/I-765/I-131 bundled filing fee package which currently includes the filing fees for the initial applications and all I-765 and I-131 renewals.  On April 1, 2024, USCIS will begin charging a separate fee for the I-485 application ($1,440) plus additional fees for the I-765 ($260 if filed initially with an I-485 application or for an I-765 renewal while the I-485 application is pending, which represents a discount of half the regular I-765 filing fee), plus $630 for an I-131 Advance Parole based on a pending I-485.  Advance Parole renewals will be $630. 
  • N-400 filing fee discount for those whose household income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty income guidelines.  The filing fee decreases from $760 (paper filing) to $380.

Top