Why must USCIS adjust the fees for applications and petitions for immigration benefits?
A. USCIS is a primarily fee-based organization, with about 90 percent of its budget coming from fees paid by applicants and petitioners for immigration benefits. The law requires USCIS to conduct fee reviews every two years to determine whether it is recovering its costs to administer the nation’s immigration laws, process applications and provide the infrastructure needed to support those activities. USCIS’s fee revenue in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 was much lower than projected, and fee revenue in fiscal year 2010 remains low. A fee adjustment, as detailed in the final rule, is necessary to ensure USCIS recovers the costs of its operations while also meeting the application processing goals identified in the 2007 fee rule. Q. Where has USCIS made budget cuts? A. USCIS has implemented several commonsense plans, including reducing travel, subscriptions and printing, maximizing the use of government space for meetings, and improving utilization of refurbished information technology. USC
