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February 6, 2002 INS Reminds Public—New Fees to Take Effect February 19, 2002 The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) wants to remind the public that on February 19, 2002, increased fees will take effect for the majority of INS applications and petitions as well as for fingerprint services. Applications and petitions mailed, postmarked or filed in person on or after February 19, 2002, must include the new fees, otherwise INS will reject and return them without processing. Failure to file the correct fee will delay filing and processing of the application. (Applicants should note that February 18, 2002 is a federal holiday. INS offices are closed and mail will not be delivered.) A complete chart of the new fees is attached, and available on the INS website at http://www.ins.gov/graphics/formsfee/feechart.htm Federal guidelines require INS to review fees every two years to ensure that the fees recover the full cost of processing applications and petitions. The average fee increase of $20 per application or petition, adjusts for inflation and recovers the cost of infrastructure improvements not included in the current fees. The new fees provide INS with the funding necessary to process new immigration applications and petitions in a timely manner. Although the average fee increase is only $20 per application or petition, INS recognizes that the new fees may pose a hardship for some individuals. In cases where an individual is unable to pay the fee, INS may grant a fee waiver. Guidelines can be found on the INS website at http://www.ins.gov/graphics/services/natz/waiver_policy.pdf -INS- |
Last Modified 02/20/2003