The Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) will implement a new fee, effective February 1, 2013,
for all foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the United States and
individuals seeking an immigrant visa.
Applicants will still have to pay the DHS visa application processing
fee in conjunction with the new $165
immigrant fee through the USCIS
website.
The new immigrant fee aims to cover the cost of USCIS staff
time to handle, file and maintain the immigrant visa package as well as the
cost of producing and delivering the permanent resident card. The fee was established from the September
24, 2010 final
rule developed by the DHS and USCIS to recover the costs of processing
immigrant visas in the United States.
According to the USCIS website:
Inter-country Adoptions
The fee does not apply
to those entering the United States under intercountry adoptions programs.
Children admitted into
the United States under the Orphan or Hague Adoptions Process are currently
exempt from paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee; however, USCIS will consider the
cost of processing immigrant visas issued by the DOS for the Orphan and Hague process
the next time there is an adjustment to the fee schedule.
When and How to Pay the
Fee
Applicants must pay this
fee online through the USCIS website. Applicants should submit payments after
they receive their visa package from DOS and before they depart for the United
States.
Applicants can
electronically submit the fee by answering the questions on the USCIS website
by providing their:
·
checking account information, or
·
debit or credit card information.
All check payments must
be drawn on a U.S. bank.
If the applicant is
unable to make this payment, another person can make this payment on the
applicant’s behalf.
Failure to Pay
The applicant will not
receive a green card until the required USCIS Immigrant fee is paid.
Failure to pay does not
affect the lawful status of the applicant. While the applicant can use their
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Form I-94, Arrival and Departure Record,
for one year to document they are a lawful permanent resident, once that I-94
stamp expires, the applicant will need to possess a green card as evidence of
their lawful permanent resident status.
The announcement in its entirety can be read on the USCIS
website while the official statement can be viewed here.
Labels: Department of Homeland Security, DHS, immigration, USCIS
posted by Form I-9 Compliance News @ 2:37 PM
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