The health crisis and the USCIS

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is the branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in charge of receiving, reviewing, and responding to immigration requests in the country.

This is one of the few federal entities that depends entirely on application fees. This means that the income of the USCIS comes mainly from the fees that applicants must pay when submitting an immigration request.

Nowadays, due to the global health crisis, the USCIS is going through a devastating downturn in revenue.

Let’s look at some of the main reasons:

1. The global Coronavirus pandemic forced the USCIS to close its offices to the public for more than two months.
2. Naturalization ceremonies, which are a considerable source of income for the migratory entity, were not available for more than two months.
3. The Trump government decided to close the borders to protect the health of the local population. Therefore, there were no new requests to enter the country for a considerable period of time.

Given the downturn in revenue, the USCIS proposed several solutions

The USCIS announced in June that it was having difficulties maintaining employee salaries and that it would have to implement emergency measures to counter the impact of the country’s economic crisis.

Therefore, the USCIS proposed several solutions:

1. Receive monetary aid from Congress to protect employees’ wages.
2. In the event that Congress does not bail the USCIS, it plans to furlough 70% of its employees beginning on August 30, 2020.
3. Increase application fees to have more income and avoid furloughs.

Therefore, because Congress has not given any official response regarding the monetary aid requested by the USCIS, this agency decided to increase the fees for the Naturalization Ceremonies.

Do you need to submit an immigration application? It is better for you to follow experts’ advice. Motion Law Immigration’s attorneys are ready to help you.

The new fees for the Naturalization Ceremonies

One of the main immigration services offered by the USCIS is the Naturalization Ceremonies. This is the last step an immigrant must take to officially become a US citizen.

After this ceremony, immigrants have absolutely the same rights as any other American citizen. This includes, but is not limited to:

• The right to vote in the presidential elections (which will take place in November 2020).
• Apply to social benefits and enter the health system.
• Obtain a driver’s license and Social Security Number (SSN).
• Have an American passport.
• Be able to request family members to come to the US as well.

In an official statement, the USCIS announced that the fees for the Naturalization Ceremonies will increase as of October 2, 2020.

The regular price for the Naturalization Ceremonies was $640. Starting in October, the established rate will be $1,160, which represents more than an 80% increase.

Motion Law keeps you up to date with the latest immigration news.

Prepare your immigration case

Now that the fees for some immigration applications have increased, it is essential to properly take advantage of the opportunity you have to present your immigration case.

It is best to avoid inconveniences or possible rejection by the USCIS. Thus, we recommend for you to seek reliable help of experts in immigration matters.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.