By: Ben Loveman
A federal judge granted a motion for a preliminary injunction against USCIS’ proposed fee increase. The fee increase was scheduled to go into place on October 2, 2020. USCIS will now be forbidden to raise fees until and unless they secure a reprieve from the injunction through appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The timeframe for the Ninth Circuit to hear any appeal and the outcome of such an appeal is uncertain.
For now, we expect that USCIS will continue in its efforts to raise fees. If the fee increase goes into effect, the cost of becoming a U.S. citizen through naturalization and for obtaining permanent resident status through adjustment of status will all increase significantly. Most applications will see significant fee increases, while limited services, such as renewal of green cards, were set for small price reductions. We urge everyone who wishes to take advantage of the current fee structure to immediately explore their options with an experienced immigration attorney.
