USCIS Waiver of Filing Fees

In addition to the timelines and stress of dealing with the government, many people find that the costliness of filing fees involved with visas and petitions prohibit them from proceeding with their Immigration issues.  The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is funded largely by application and petition fees, however they have instituted a few policies which make it possible for certain individuals to have their Immigration Fees waived.  A person who seeks to have the fees waived must demonstrate an inability to afford to pay the fees associated with certain applications and forms.  The USCIS has created a form I-912 which will waive the fee for benefit services including but not limited to Applications to replace Permanent Resident cards, Applications for Travel Documents and Applications to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.  In the case of the latter, Asylum seekers and/or battered or abused spouses may have their fees waived because of their special circumstances.  The granting of any fee waiver is at the sole discretion of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) however an immigration attorney may help navigate through this difficult process.   As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (516) 858-2620!