The federal government plans to increase the fees for asylum seekers and applicants for U.S. citizenship in early October.
The rule by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services takes effect Oct. 2. It increases the cost of a U.S. citizenship application by more than 80 percent.
The naturalization application will increase from $640 to $1,170. It will eliminate the option to request a reduced fee as well as fee waivers like extenuating financial hardship and public benefits, like food stamps. Only some protected immigrants, including victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, will remain eligible for fee waivers.
For the first time, asylum seekers fleeing persecution in their home countries will have to pay a fee of $50 to apply for asylum if they are not in deportation proceedings. The government said it’s raising fees to cover operational costs.
Contact reporter Paola at pmarizan@wnin.org or follow her on Twitter at @pmarizan.
