Immigration Filing Fee Increases Proposed - Naturalization Fee Upped to $1,170

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed fee changes for almost every immigration application, and a majority of them are increases. The most substantial increase is the naturalization filing fee, which almost doubles from $640 to $1,170.

DHS states that if USCIS continues to operate at current fee levels, it would experience an average annual shortfall of $1,262.3 million. 

Some filing fee calculations will change, namely those for Form I-485 Application to Adjust Status. Currently, the filing fee for forms I-765 and I-131 are waived if they are filed together with an I-485 application, with only a one-time filing fee of $1,225. DHS is proposing to remove the bundle fee waiver and applicants must pay for the filing fees separately for each and every I-765 or I-131 application that they file.  While the application fee for I-485 is slightly reduced to $1120, the I-765  and I-131 filing fees will increase to $490 and $585 respectively.

Another I-485 fee change is that children under 14 years-old would no longer have a reduced fee.

Form I-129 Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker would also undergo substantial changes with this proposal. DHS has created new I-129 petitions, each for a different worker classification and each with its own fee. The table below shows this information. Every worker category would see a filing fee increase from the current I-129 filing fee of $460.

Filing fees for many applications would increase, some by a huge margin. The following table illustrates these proposed changes for some of the most common applications:

Proposed Filing Fee Changes

  

	Immigration benefit request	Current fee ($)	New fee ($)
N-400	Naturalization	640	1,170
N-600	Application for Certificate of Citizenship	1,170	1,015
N-600K	Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322	1,170	960
I-90	Replace Permanent Residence Card	455	415
I-102	Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Document	445	490
I-212	Permission to Reapply for Admission into the U.S. After Deportation or Removal	930	1,040
I-290B	Notice of Appeal or Motion	675	705
I-131	Travel Document	575	585
I-765	Employment Authorization	410	490
I-485, I-765, & I-131	Application to Register Permanent Residency or Adjust Status, Employment Authorization, & Travel Document	1,225	2,195
I-539	Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status	370	400
I-751	Remove Conditions on Residence	595	760
I-129H1	I-129 H-1B - Named Beneficiaries	460	560
I-129H2A	I-129 H-2A - Named Beneficiaries	460	860
	I-129 H-2A - Unnamed Beneficiaries	460	425
I-129H2B	I-129 H-2B - Named Beneficiaries	460	725
	I-129 H-2B - Unnamed Beneficiaries	460	395
I-129L	Petition for L Nonimmigrant Worker	460	815
I-129O	Petition for O Nonimmigrant Worker	460	715
I-129CW, I129E&TN, I129MISC	CNMI-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker;  Application for Nonimmigrant Worker: E and TN Classification; Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker: H-3, P, Q, or R Classification.	460	705
I-129F	Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)	535	520
I-130	Petition for Alien Relative	535	555
I-140	Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker	700	545
I-601	Waiver of Ground of Excludability	930	985
I-601A	Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver	630	960
I-526	Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur	3,675	4,015
I-824	Application for Action on an Approved Application or Petition	465	500
I-829	Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status	3,750	3,900
-	Biometrics Services	85	30

Note that biometrics services fees would reduce from $85 to $30. I-140 petitions fees would reduce from $700 to $545. 

DHS will accept comments from the public for 30 days after publishing the proposal in the Federal Register. A final rule incorporating this feedback will release afterwards.  To avoid paying the proposed increased fees, applicants should file their petitions as soon as possible. For example, if you are eligible for naturalization, do not wait to submit your N-400 application.


1/27/2020 Update: The DHS is reopening the comment period for the proposed rule published on  11/14/2019.  The comment period has been extended to February 10, 2020.