The price of U.S. citizenship jumped Wednesday, when immigration
officials finalized fee increases first proposed in February, to
the chagrin of local advocates who called the costs
”
excessive.
”
Gilroy – The price of U.S. citizenship jumped Wednesday, when immigration officials finalized fee increases first proposed in February, to the chagrin of local advocates who called the costs “excessive.”
“They didn’t budge much on what they’d proposed,” said Juan Gil Garcia of Catholic Charities.
“For the working-class immigrants, this is going to create a hardship and might deter them from being able to apply for citizenship.”
Immigration officials say the price hike had to happen, and that the agency took community concerns into account, providing a 60-day period for comment on the proposed increase, an average 86 percent jump. USCIS claims the new fees will smooth delays in the system, causing a 20 percent reduction in processing times by July 2009.
“We’re a fee-based organization, and we have to cover our costs,” said Marie Sebrechts, spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. “This is both fair and responsible.”
Naturalization will cost $675; temporary residents applying for permanent status will pay at least $1,450. Asylum remains free.
Officials cut back a proposed increase in residency fees for children younger than 14 who file with their parents, and expanded the availability of fee waivers in humanitarian cases, such as domestic violence.
Garcia was unimpressed by the concessions.
“If a child under 14 is filing not as a dependent, they have to pay $930” to become a permanent resident, he said. “If they file with a parent who’s immigrating at the same time, they’ll pay $600. Right now, they pay $225. It’s still a big increase.”
Hardship waivers are still available to those who need them, said Sebrechts, mitigating the impact of the increases on the most needy applicants. The new prices are effective July 30, and the full fee schedule is available online at www.uscis.gov.
