INS Fees Raised Back to Prior Levels

IMMIGRATION LAW & POLICY

Obtaining Lawful Permanent Residence Status

INS FEES RAISED BACK TO PRIOR LEVELS
Immigrants' Rights Update, Vol. 17, No. 2, April 8, 2003

The Immigration and Naturalization Service has issued an interim rule returning its fees for applications and benefits to pre–Jan. 24, 2003, levels. The fees were lowered on that date as a result of a provision of the Homeland Security Act that eliminated section 286(m) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorized the agency to include surcharges in its fees to recover the cost of services that the INS provides without fee, such as asylum and refugee processing (see "INS Reduces Fees for Immigration Services," Immigrants' Rights Update, Feb. 21, 2003, p. 9). Subsequently, Congress repealed this provision of the Homeland Security Act, in the Homeland Security Act Amendments of 2003. Accordingly, the INS has now returned all fees to their prior levels. The change was made immediately effective, as of the Feb. 27, 2003, date of publication of the interim rule in the Federal Register.

68 Fed. Reg. 8,989-92 (Feb. 27, 2003).