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Judge Blocks Increase in US Immigration Fees

VOA News

   A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday blocked an increase in immigration fees
   that was due to go into effect this week.

   The fees were set togo upFridayby an average of about 20% depending on
   the type ofentrybeing sought.

   The halted hikes include a $50 fee for asylum applications, the first
   time the United States would have charged such a fee. The cost for
   applying to be a naturalized citizen was due to increase from $640 to
   $1,170.

   Applicants from lower-income households have been able to askthat their
   fees be waived, but the new rules that were dueto go into effect
   eliminated certain categories ofwaivereligibility, such as showing
   extreme financial hardship. Some applicants would no longer have been
   eligible under tighter household income thresholds.

   U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that processes
   visas, asylum requests, naturalizations and other applications,
   reported a sharp decline in revenues earlier this year due to the
   coronavirus pandemic and at one point considered furloughing more than
   half its staff. Unlike most federal agencies, a significant portion of
   USCIS's funding comes from fees collected.

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