It will now cost more to become citizens as application fees rise

When it comes to immigration, there are many legal hoops that often need addressing. Even if individuals want to become citizens, they will need to file the proper paperwork, provide the necessary information and pay the applicable fees for the process. Unfortunately, many people hoping to make immigration changes may be seeing more of a financial burden associated with the process.

Louisiana readers may be interested in a recent report regarding the increased costs of immigration-related applications. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that an 83% increase in the cost of citizenship applications would be put into effect. As a result, the cost will increase from $640 to $1,170. Citizenship applications are not the only ones affected as a 21% increase overall is anticipated for other immigration applications.

Already, there are concerns that the increase in fees will prevent qualifying individuals from making changes to their immigration statuses. Still, USCIS indicated that the increases were necessary in order to cover the operational costs of immigration-related processes. Another application affected by the increase includes the petition to cancel or suspend removal from the U.S., which will increase from $285 to $1,800. At least three other applications will also see increases.

The process to become citizens and taking other immigration-related steps is already long and difficult. Now, many people in Louisiana and elsewhere may worry even more about the financial impacts of trying to achieve their dreams. It may be wise for concerned parties to gain more information on immigration changes and how they affect their particular cases.