The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on Wednesday announced a proposed average increase of 66 percent in fees for services including naturalization and petitioning for an immigrant fiancé.
The new fee structure raised concern from congressional members, immigrant advocates and immigrants themselves who face paying more. They say the new fees could be a barrier to keeping documents current or becoming citizens.
USCIS Director Emilio Gonzaléz defended the higher costs, saying they reflect the cost of providing services and that the proposals came after eight months of study. The agency estimates they will bring in about $1 million in additional revenue.
“These are not arbitrary prices – this was done with as much data as we could find,” he said. “At the end of the day this is what we feel we have to do, and at the end of the day people will be willing to pay it.”
The proposed increases apply only to legal immigrants. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to apply for a green card or citizenship. Legal permanent residents must wait five years before applying for citizenship.
The news comes just months after the Denver office posted its highest application year in history with 8,122 applications for naturalization between October 2005 and October 2006. During that same year, the office processed 4,576 green-card applications.
The fee for a green card is being raised from $325 to $905, although the higher fee now will include temporary documents. The fee for naturalization, including the required biometric identification fee, would go from $400 to $675.
Yohannes Mengistu, who is from Ethiopia, gasped when he heard of the proposed increases.
“I was counting the days to become a citizen, but on the other hand, if these hurdles are ahead of me, it’s very frustrating,” said Mengistu, 44, who has three children in Denver. “If it were only one person, I could see hundreds of dollars in increase, but for families it’s very difficult.”
Selena Juarez, 46, is from Mexico. She is taking a class to become proficient in English so she can apply for citizenship.
“It’s a lot more money,” she said, “It’s a big sacrifice. They should consider the people.”
The changes will make applying for citizenship in the U.S. more costly than in any other country, said Jordan Garcia of Coloradans for Immigrant Rights, a project of the American Friends Service Committee.
“This communicates to people that we don’t have a welcoming society regardless of how much we benefit from the labor and the contributions that immigrants give,” Garcia said.
The last major fee increase – other than inflationary adjustments – was in 1998.
In exchange for higher fees, Gonzaléz is promising a “more modern, transparent, professional and speedy agency.”
U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., is skeptical of the large increase, said his spokesman Cody Wertz.
In October, Salazar, along with Sens. Barack Obama and Edward Kennedy, sent a letter opposing any fee changes.
“Republicans and Democrats alike have proclaimed their respect and admiration for legal immigrants pursuing citizenship and full participation in our democracy,” the three Democrats wrote. “We should keep the barriers to that participation as low as possible.”
Advocates see this as the latest assault on immigrants, said Julien Ross, of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition.
“We see an actual wall being built along the border and now this invisible wall of increased fees that deny hard-working families access to civic participation in our country,” Ross said.
The Congressional Hispanic and Asian Pacific American caucuses expressed concerns.
“Given today’s political climate, the continuing discrimination that immigrants face … and the need for immigrants to be up to date with their status, we believe it’s our duty to assure USCIS services are affordable,” said Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif., chair of the Hispanic Caucus.
The proposal has a 60-day comment period, and if it is approved, it will take another 60 days to implement. Gonzaléz estimates it would apply in June.
“Congress can opine, but at the end of the day this is a regulatory issue,” Gonzaléz said. “This is … a necessity for this agency and an opportunity to get to where we need to be.”
Staff writer Elizabeth Aguilera can be reached at 303-954-1372 or eaguilera@denverpost.com.
