USCIS Says "Show Me the Money"

To get an immigration petition processed quickly, you have to pay. And now, you have to pay more.

Long waits have become the norm at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) now that there’s more scrutiny on some petitions for immigration benefits. The government will process certain petitions faster, for a fee. The expedited service, called premium processing, guarantees that USCIS will process eligible petitions and applications in 15 calendar days. But USCIS just raised its fee on this popular service.

The fee has increased significantly. Premium processing now costs $2,500 for any immigration petition or application that the government deems eligible. However, expedited processing fees for petitions seeking visas for certain religious workers (R-1) and guest laborers (H-2B) will only increase from $1,440 to $1,500.

USCIS raised the fees on Oct. 19.

Please contact Brandon Davis, Laura N. Buck or any other member of Phelps’ Immigration team if you have any questions or need compliance advice and guidance. For more information related to COVID-19, visit Phelps’ COVID-19: Client Resource Portal.