New USCIS Filing Fees Go Into Effect October 2, 2020
On August 3, 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a final rule updating filing fees for immigration and naturalization applications. The new fees will be required starting October 2, 2020. Especially notable for employment-based applications is that there will be different filing fees for H, L and O petitions, even though they are all filed using Form I-129.
| Immigration Benefit/Form Number | Old Fee | New Fee | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-129 (H-1B)* | $460 | $555 | 21% |
| I-129 (L-1)* | $460 | $805 | 75% |
| I-129 (O-1) | $460 | $705 | 53% |
| I-131 (Application for Travel Document) | $575 | $590 | 3% |
| I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) | $700 | $555 | -21% |
| I-485 (Application to Adjust Status) | $1,140 | $1,130 | -1% |
| I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) | $370 | $390 | 8% |
| I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization) | $410 | $550 | 34% |
| N-400 (Application for Naturalization) | $640 | $1,170 | 83% |
* These I-129 filing fees do not reflect additional fraud and/or training fees.
With these changes, USCIS will also update forms I-129 and I-765. The new forms will be published 30 days before the new rule goes into effect. Additionally, these changes coincide with the news that USCIS issued furlough notices to more than 13,000 employees. The furlough, originally scheduled to start on August 3, 2020, has been postponed to August 31, 2020.
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