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TEACHING, INTERPRETING,

& CHANGING LAW SINCE 1979

ILRC.ORG PG. 1

USCIS, the fee-funded agency that processes and adjudicates applications for various

immigration benefits, just announced that they are raising application fees for the

first time since 2016. Most immigration forms require an application fee (filing fee),

which usually costs hundreds of dollars. Sometimes, the applicant might be able

to request a fee waiver if they cannot pay the filing fee. There is also a reduced fee

for some common immigration applications. Note while most are going up, not all are

(for instance, green card renewal on Form I-90 will actually have a lower fee starting

April 1, 2024).

Starting April 1, 2024 there will no longer be a separate biometrics fee for most

applications, so applicants will pay just one fee per application. Where online filing is

available for your application (indicated by an asterisk* in the chart), there is a $50

discount if you file online beginning April 1, 2024.

A breakdown of changes to application filing fees made by

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)

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In all cases, and especially if you are filing your application on or after April 1, 2024,

make sure you are using the currently accepted version of the form. The webpage for

the application form indicates which version(s) are being accepted.

ARE FEE WAIVERS CHANGING?

Not really—the same criteria will continue to apply; applicants may be able to file for

free if they can show that they cannot afford to pay the fee based on any one of the

following:

evidence that a child who lives in the household receives a means-tested benefit as

proof of the parent’s inability to pay.

ILRC.ORG PG. 4

WHAT ELSE IS CHANGING ON APRIL 1, 2024 RELATED TO

IMMIGRATION APPLICATION FEES?

“exemption,” meaning they can file for free without needing to request a fee

waiver. Such applicants include: special immigrant juveniles and survivors of

human trafficking (T nonimmigrants), crime (U nonimmigrants), and domestic

violence (VAWA), when submitting all applications through adjustment of status.

In the past, applicants in these categories routinely would apply for and receive

with USCIS) must now pay for work permission (I-765) and travel permission

(I-131) while their green card application is pending separately; before April

1, 2024 these applications could be submitted by adjustment applicants at no

additional cost. Adjustment of status applicants will have to pay half of the

fee for the work permit application and the full fee for the travel permission

application.

to take advantage of a half-price fee reduction. Currently, the fee reduction

is only open to naturalization applicants whose income is between 150% and

ILRC.ORG PG. 5

available-to-file-online). Naturalization applicants applying for the fee reduction

will still have to file their applications on paper and not online.

WHO SHOULD FILE NOW, BEFORE APRIL 1, 2024? WHO IS BETTER OFF

WAITING UNTIL APRIL 1, 2024?

Most application fees are going up, so in general if you’re planning to file soon

anyway, you may want to make sure you get your applications in before April 1, 2024

to take advantage of the lower fee.

This is especially true if you’re planning to apply for adjustment of status, since

on or after April 1, 2024 you will have to pay for travel and work permission

separately, if desired (half price fee for the work permit application, full fee for travel

People who may want to wait until AFTER April 1, 2024 to submit their applications

include:

FIND OUT MORE CCC: findyourally.com CSU: findyourally.com/csu