Stakeholder Messages

On Jan. 31, 2024, USCIS published a final rule that adjusts certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees. This final rule went into effect on April 1, 2024. Since then, USCIS has seen a significant increase of Forms I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, being filed without the correct fee.Please confirm that you have included the correct fee before submitting your Form I-765.What You Need to Know   Common filing fees for Form I-765 are: 

Today, in continued support of Enduring Welcome, and by congressional directive, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it is extending and expanding some previously announced filing fee exemptions and expedited application processing for certain Afghan nationals. This will help Afghan nationals continue to resettle and, in many cases, reunite with family in the United States. It will enable USCIS to more quickly process requests for long-term status, status for immediate relatives, and associated services, helping our Afghan allies and other Afghans at risk integrate in their new home. Afghan nationals paroled into the United States on or after July 30, 2021, are eligible for the following fee exemptions and streamlined processing through the dates listed:Fee Exemptions Extended through Jan. 31, 2025

USCIS Makes Additional Updates to Policy Guidance for the “Sought to Acquire” Requirement Under the Child Status Protection ActU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services today issued guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify how to calculate the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) age for a noncitizen who demonstrates extraordinary circumstances that may excuse the “sought to acquire” requirement under the CSPA.This publication clarifies that:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reminds applicants and petitioners to make sure that they are submitting the current edition of all forms before sending your package to USCIS.

Be sure to provide the correct payment and complete information when filing Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers. Since publishing both a new edition of this form and a new fee rule in April 2024, we have had to reject an unusually high number of Form I-140 petitions at intake because of incorrect fees and missing information.  When you file Form I-140, provide a payment with your petition for the full $600 Asylum Program Fee, unless you qualify for a reduced Asylum Program Fee of either $300 or $0. If you do not provide the correct Asylum Program Fee, in addition to the $715 filing fee, we may reject your filing. Also, because your answers in Part 1 of the form to questions 5 and 6 tell us whether you qualify for a reduced fee, they cannot be left blank. 

On Sept. 23, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security posted for public inspection a Federal Register notice implementing employment authorization for individuals covered by Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Liberians for 24 months.On June 28, 2024, President Biden issued a Memorandum on Extending Eligibility for Deferred Enforced Departure for Liberians to the secretaries of state and homeland security that defers through June 30, 2026, the removal of certain Liberian nationals, or individuals without nationality who last habitually resided in Liberia, who were eligible for DED under the president’s 2022 memorandum, including individuals who have been continuously present in the United States since May 20, 2017.

On Sept. 17, the nation observes Constitution Day and Citizenship Day as part of Constitution Week.

On Aug. 12, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services California Service Center (CSC) moved to a new facility as part of our efforts to centralize processing of immigration benefits.