Readjustment of Immigration Benefit Application Fees
Issued by Justice Department
On January 24, 2003, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (Service) published an interim rule in the Federal Register adjusting the immigration benefit application fee schedule by subtracting the applicable amount of surcharges used for asylum and refugee services, fee exemptions and fee waivers. The Service was required to take that action under provisions of section 457 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 107-296. However, Congress has now repealed that section in the Homeland Security Act Amendments of 2003. Accordingly, this rule readjusts the immigration benefit application fee schedule to the levels that existed prior to January 24, 2003. Fees collected from persons filing immigration benefit applications are deposited into the Immigration Examinations Fee Account and recover the cost of processing immigration benefit applications and associated administrative costs and the costs of asylum applications pursuant to law. Federal guidelines require the Service to establish and collect fees to recover the full costs of processing immigration benefit applications.
This is a factual description of what was issued or decided, not an assessment of it.