The USCIS had already announced increases in its rates

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is the branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that is responsible for processing all of the country’s immigration applications.

The USCIS is the primary federal entity for visa applications. The income of this agency depends greatly on the fees that applicants pay when they submit an immigration case.

It is well known that the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic paused multiple sectors of the market and our society has had to be rebuilt using digital and virtual methods.

In the case of the USCIS, senior officials decided to close the offices to the public for more than two months to prevent a massive outbreak of COVID-19 within its facilities and to suspend the issuance of a considerable number of visas, following the presidential order to close the borders.

Thus, it was expected that the agency would experience a substantial downturn in revenue that would affect both federal employees and applicants.

Do you need to submit an immigration case? Our team of experts is ready to guide you through your immigration journey in the US.

The USCIS warning

The USCIS announced in mid-June that it was experiencing a downturn in revenue that could jeopardize its employees’ wages.

Therefore, the USCIS had previously warned that:

• Most likely, it would increase application fees temporarily, as this is its primary source of income.
• The entity asked monetary aid from Congress in order to protect employees and offer an optimal and effective service to applicants.
• The USCIS plans to furlough 70% of its employees around the country if Congress does not approve a monetary aid of $ 1.2 million.

However, Congress has yet to respond to the request, but the agency has already announced changes to the rates for most immigration applications.

Keep up to date with immigration news.

The new rates

In an official statement, the DHS declared that the rates for most immigration applications would be changed starting October 2, 2020.

The USCIS had already warned about these changes due to the global Coronavirus pandemic. However, the DHS states that this rate restructuring took more than eight months of analysis.

Most fees increased by 20%. However, there are certain fees, like for the Naturalization Ceremonies, that increased more than 80%.

On top of that, asylum seekers now have to pay $50 to submit their immigration case in the US, which has caused quite a stir among immigrant communities as it now became one of the four countries in the world that charges to apply for political asylum.

Do you know what immigration process to follow?

It is important for you to know the new rates to properly prepare your case and have the necessary resources available by the time you submit your immigration application.

We encourage you to seek reliable help to avoid potential denial and to take advantage of your application opportunity.

In addition to that, some of the immigration processes are behind schedule thanks to the arrival of the pandemic and it is essential that, if you have the opportunity to submit an application, you take advantage of it correctly.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.