After H1-B visa fee hike, American citizenship costs might be doubled soon

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After H1-B visa fee hike, American citizenship costs might be doubled soon

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  • The US President Donald Trump's administration proposed over 80% hike in the Citizenship application fee.
  • There are roughly 9 million immigrants, who are eligible to apply for US citizenship.
  • The proposal is now out for public review until December 16.
The fate of Indians in the US seems more uncertain than ever as the White House may increase the cost of availing the American citizenship.

The Trump's administration proposed over 80% hike in the Citizenship application fee, saying that the "current fees do not recover the full costs of providing adjudication and naturalization services," according to IANS.

This comes after the US government hiked the application fee of H1-B work visas by $10. "This effort will help implement a more efficient and effective H1-B cap selection process,” said United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) acting Director Ken Cuccinelli.

There are roughly 9 million immigrants, who are eligible to apply for US citizenship.

The proposed hikes would increase the application fee by $530 to $1,170. In addition to this, the cost incurred in obtaining legal permanent residency will also rise by 79% to $2,195, NBC News reported.
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The USCIS defended the move by saying that the DHS has set the application fees at less than estimated costs. However, given the rise in citizenship applications over the last few years, the DHS is considering a revision.

The proposal is now out for public review until December 16, according to the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA).

The proposed rule also outlines other kinds of fee increases too that can impact immigration-related applications by asylum-seekers, Temporary Protected Status beneficiaries, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and legal permanent residents.

The Trump administration is also planning to redirect USCIS funding of $207.6 million to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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