Fee Hikes Considered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

In a statement made in New Mexico, Director Alejandro Mayorkas, said that the agency will be considering budget cuts and raising filing fees in the near future. Apparently, U.S Citizenship and Immigration Service is suffering from approximately a $118 million revenue shortfall. And since the agency is required to be self-sufficient, a revenue shortfall for USCIS usually means another fee hike for the average immigrant. USCIS increased filing fees by 65% in 2007 and promised better customer service to the visa applicants. The fee increase took effect but the jury is still out on the promised improvement in customer service. Now with talks of budget cuts and fee hikes making rounds who knows what the future holds for the immigrants looking for service.

 Source: New York Times