The U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced an increase in government filing fees effective December 23, 2016. The new schedule shows an average increase of about 21% on most petitions or applications. While USCIS relies primarily on the fees paid by applicants and petitioners it has not increased its filing fees since November, 2010.
Many individuals and companies will be affected by these increases. For those who have been on the fence on whether or not to file a case with USCIS, perhaps now is the time to consider filing before the new fees become effective.
Applications and petitions postmarked or filed on or after Dec. 23, 2016 must include the new fees or USCIS will not be able to accept them and filings will be rejected and returned. Individuals and companies should consider contacting an immigration attorney to advise of and assist with the proper steps to take in order for a filing to be accepted by USCIS prior to the new fee increase.