Immigrants face fee increases

[86Dude]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...home-headlines

Immigrants applying for the right to live and work in the United States will pay a steeper price starting July 30.

The fees that immigrants pay to request "green cards" will nearly triple to $930. The cost of renewing working permits jumps 89 percent to $340. And applying for citizenship will cost $595, an increase of $265.

Some children will pay less and immigrants who fall under the federal poverty line can apply for waivers, but most others will have to cough up more cash.

Immigration officials, who have hired staff and reallocated resources during the past year to reduce a years-long backlog to about six months, say the increases are necessary because the agency is solely funded by user fees.

The increases will raise more than $2 billion, according to immigration officials.

But immigrants and their advocates complain that these costs are excessive for people who often are struggling to settle here while helping relatives in their homelands.

Under Secretary Emilio Gonzalez, head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, unveiled the fee revisions in January, as the first major overhaul of immigration costs since 1998. The fees will become final after a public-comment period.

Gonzalez said in a written statement that the new fees are "both fair to our customers and vital to our Nation as we continue to build a secure and efficient national immigration service."

But some say the costs make citizenship less affordable

[86Dude]

Never fear, the Wal-Marts of the world will pay the fee.

[jwreck]

what difference does it make? how many are going to apply for citizenship?

[Pappy&Me]

Originally Posted by jwreck

what difference does it make? how many are going to apply for citizenship?

This is just a lying trick to make us think they are 'tough on immigration '! What a crock !

LaRaza aka,'THE RACE' will celebrate . I wonder if a white gang named 'THE RACE' would have the FBI ,Homeland Security and some Renos,Clintons and Bushes killing the whole damn bunch,women and children included for being racist violent seperatist ,even if no violence had been commited .