Immigration Fees are Increasing in April 2024
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently published a final rule that adjusts certain immigration and naturalization fees. This is the first major increase in fees since 2016. With the additional revenue generated from the fees, USCIS hopes to cover more operational costs and provide more timely application processing.
This fee increase will take effect on April 1, 2024. If you are in the process of filing immigration or naturalization paperwork and you would like to avoid paying the increased fees, you should file before April 1.
Which immigration fees will be affected by this fee increase?
There are a number of fees affected by this fee increase. A handful of fees are actually being lowered, but most are increasing by anywhere from $15 to several thousand dollars, depending on the immigration benefit. There will be a standard $50 discount applied to all online filing. Below are some examples fee changes you can expect to see on April 1. For a full list, visit USCIS’s website.
| Immigration Benefit | Current Fee | New Fee (as of April 2024) | Fee Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-90 Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (online filing) | $455 | $415 | – $40 |
| I-90 Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (online filing) (with biometric services) | $540 | $415 | – $125 |
| I-90 Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (paper filing) | $455 | $465 | + $10 |
| I-90 Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (paper filing) (with biometric services) | $540 | $465 | – $75 |
| I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) | $535 | $675 | + $140 |
| I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (online filing) | $535 | $625 | + $90 |
| I-130 Petition for Alien Relative (paper filing) | $535 | $675 | + $140 |
| I-131 Application for Travel Document | $575 | $630 | + $55 |
| I-131 Application for Travel Document (with biometric services) | $660 | $630 | – $30 |
| I-131 Refugee Travel Document for an individual age 16 or older | $135 | $165 | + $30 |
| I-131 Refugee Travel Document for an individual age 16 or older (with biometric services) | $220 | $165 | – $55 |
| I-131 Refugee Travel Document for a child under the age of 16 | $105 | $135 | + $30 |
| I-131 Refugee Travel Document for a child under the age of 16 (with biometric services) | $190 | $135 | – $55 |
| I-290B Notice of Appeal or Motion | $675 | $800 | + $125 |
| I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status | $1,140 | $1,440 | + $300 |
| I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (with biometric services) | $1,225 | $1,440 | + $215 |
| I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (under the age of 14 in certain conditions) | $750 | $950 | + $200 |
| I-601 Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility | $930 | $1,050 | + $120 |
| I-601A Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver | $630 | $795 | + $165 |
| I-601A Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver (with biometric services) | $715 | $795 | + $80 |
| I-765 Application for Employment Authorization (online filing) | $410 | $470 | + $60 |
| I-765 Application for Employment Authorization (online filing) (with biometric services) | $495 | $470 | – $25 |
| I-765 Application for Employment Authorization (paper filing) | $410 | $520 | + $110 |
| I-765 Application for Employment Authorization (paper filing) (with biometric services) | $495 | $520 | + $25 |
| N-336 Request for Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings Under Section 336 (online filing) | $700 | $780 | + $80 |
| N-336 Request for Hearing on a Decision in Naturalization Proceedings Under Section 336 (paper filing) | $700 | $830 | + $130 |
| N-400 Application for Naturalization (online filing) | $640 | $710 | + $70 |
| N-400 Application for Naturalization (online filing) (with biometric services) | $725 | $710 | – $15 |
| N-400 Application for Naturalization (paper filing) | $640 | $760 | + $120 |
| N-400 Application for Naturalization (paper filing) (with biometric services) | $725 | $760 | + $35 |
| N-400 Application for Naturalization (applicants with household income between 150 and 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG)) | $320 | $380 | + $60 |
| N-400 Application for Naturalization (applicants with household income between 150 and 400% of the FPG) (with biometric services) | $405 | $380 | – $25 |
| N-600 Application for Certificate of Citizenship (online filing) | $1,170 | $1,335 | + $165 |
| N-600 Application for Certificate of Citizenship (paper filing) | $1,170 | $1,385 | + $215 |
Will fee waivers still be available?
Yes. There are still fee waivers available for certain forms and for applicants who qualify. For more information on fee waivers, you can visit USCIS’s website.
Will there be a grace period?
The USCIS posted this on their website about grace periods: “USCIS will accept prior editions of most forms during a grace period from April 1, 2024, through June 3, 2024. During this grace period, USCIS will accept both previous and new editions of certain forms, filed with the correct fee.” They also mention that there will be no grace period on the following forms:
- Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
- Form I-129 CW, Petition for a CNMI-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker
- Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers
- Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
- Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition (and supplement 1, 2, & 3)
What does this mean for you?
If you’re in the process of filing immigration or citizenship paperwork, you should file before April 1, 2024 to take advantage of the lower fees. For help with filing, contact the immigration attorneys at Cornerstone Law Firm.
