UPDATE: As of January 22, 2024, USCIS’s review of substantial fee increases for various immigration applications, covering both family and work visas, was complete. Announcement of these new fees is expected soon, with possible implementation by summer 2024. This update represents the first major rate adjustment since 2016, affecting many immigrants and businesses..
Boundless submitted a public comment to USCIS earlier this week, urging the government to reconsider its decision. significantly increase immigration fees.
Here are the main points to remember:
Fee increase will affect low-income families and immigrants
The most concerning impact of the proposed fee hike is that it could prevent low-income immigrants from entering the United States and separate families.
A green wedding card an applicant filing from the United States could pay more than double the fee, from $1,760 to $3,640. When we examine this recommendation in more detail, it becomes even more troubling: USCIS has removed the fee waiver for immigrant families applying for residency permits. Work Authorization And authorization to travel while their application is being processed. As USCIS processing times have continued to rise steadily, the ability for these family members to work and travel in the meantime is more critical than ever, but the agency is proposing for the first time to require a significant financial cost for these permissions.
Employers will pay more than triple hiring costs
American companies will pay much more to hire foreign workers if the new proposal takes effect. More specifically, the cost of a H-1B work visa – used by large tech companies as well as universities, nonprofits and small businesses – will increase by 70%, from $460 to $780. The pre-registration fee for the H-1B is also expected to increase significantly, from $10 to $215, a staggering 2,050% increase. On top of that, USCIS also requires businesses to bear the costs of asylum fees by adding an additional $600 to each H-1B application. This brings the total cost of an H-1B visa to $1,595, more than triple the current cost.
America needs immigrants to solve the jobs crisis
USCIS should not rely so heavily on U.S. businesses to fund its operations while the country is grappling with a severe labor shortage.
As of November 2022, there were nearly 10.5 million job offers in America, and 5.8 million people were unemployed. Even if every one of these unemployed workers were hired, the United States would still be millions short of available jobs.
Making it easier for immigrant workers to come to the United States and fill some of these vacant positions would be “alleviate labor shortages, slow inflation and help build a bigger, stronger economy for everyone.”
Conclusion
Although USCIS has done commendable work in recent years in facilitating and increasing access to the citizenship and naturalization process, they seem out of touch with the path it takes to get there. Charging ever-higher fees for basic immigration processing will separate families, deprive the United States of talented professionals, and do nothing to improve systemic problems within U.S. agencies that process these applications. Until USCIS gets its house in order, they should not ask immigrants to shoulder the burden of their broken system.
You can see the full comment here.