Biden Makes It Even Easier For Migrants

Specific individuals can apply for green cards at no cost beginning this April, thanks to fee reductions implemented by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

This is the first price change since December 2016, and it is detailed in a 207-page document published on Wednesday. Petition and application fees are going to change as of April 1. According to the agency, funding for USCIS comes primarily from fees, with only a small amount coming from congressional appropriations.

A 370-page border bill was unveiled over the weekend by the United States Senate. It will significantly affect numerous areas, including the federal ability to handle extended migrant interactions, border wall construction, and asylum regulations if approved and authorized. House Speaker Mike Johnson has made clear that the bill has failed to live up to expectations. He is in the minority of House Republicans who are pessimistic about the bill’s prospects of passing with enough votes.

The revised fee structure for the I-929 Petition for Qualifying Family Member of a U-1 Nonimmigrant is instituted by the USCIS final rule that was released on January 30. Therefore, after the new regulations are implemented, the price of $230—last set in December 2016—will be lowered to $0.

Individuals who have suffered psychological or bodily abuse as a result of a specific crime are eligible for U nonimmigrant status sometimes called the U visa. Additionally, as stated by USCIS, these persons are expected to cooperate with government officials or law enforcement to aid in the investigation or prosecution of unlawful behavior. This comes from the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act, passed in October 2000.

After looking at the group that was negatively impacted, immigration attorney Lewis Francis of Parson, Behle & Latimer said that the fee exemption for U-1 nonimmigrants is probably warranted.

He claims that the redistribution of payments for asylum applications to applications for legal immigration based on businesses is a significant worry in the final rule.

There is a new cost of $600 per worker that employers must pay, called the “Asylum Program Fee.” This price applies to Forms I-129, which are requested by nonimmigrant workers, or Form I-140, filed by alien workers seeking immigration.

For nonprofit petitioners, the price is waived by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), while for small enterprises, it is reduced by half. Companies employing 25 or fewer full-time employees must only pay $300 as a small employer.