The cost of Green Cards and other USCIS processes could skyrocket

• The cost of a Green Card could skyrocket soon.
• US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) fees will also increase.
• The proposed increases are to cover operating costs.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) recently proposed a rule that would significantly raise the cost of Green Cards and other fees related to immigration.

At the beginning of 2023, USCIS published a statement about adjusting certain fees for immigration and naturalization processes. Immigration lawyer, Alma Rosa Nieto, has some recommendations for those who want to become US residents.

Why will the cost of a Green Card increase?

According to Marca, the cost of a Green Card in the US could increase. USCIS says the increase is necessary to support the department’s operations.

In addition to avoiding a backlog of applications in the future, they say the new fees will help the USCIS recover operating costs and process applications faster.

The cost of a Green Card hasn’t changed since 2016

USCIS fees have not gone up since 2016. COVID-19 hit the entire world at the beginning of 2020 and during the height of the pandemic, they stopped receiving new applications which resulted in a shocking drop of 40 % in agency revenue.

Immigration lawyer Alma Rosa Nieto spoke to Telemundo about the new fees. She said the new fees have not been approved but believes the costs will go up this year.

How much more will Green Cards cost?

Nieto said that the new fees could depend on certain factors. In some cases, it could be an increase of just $15 or $20, while in other cases costs could double or even triple, poinaccording to Marca.

Alma Rosa Nieto recommends that those who want to apply for a Green Card should do it as soon as possible before the fee increases take effect later this year.