Thread: Fewer seek citizenship after application fee increase

Fewer seek citizenship after application fee increase

By Emily Bazar, USA TODAY
Immigrants are getting priced out of citizenship because they can't afford higher application fees that kicked in last year, according to a report out today.
Citizenship applications plummeted after the fee rose from $400 to $675 on July 30, 2007, says an analysis by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, an immigrant-advocate group.

In the first six months of this year, an average of 46,866 immigrants applied for citizenship each month — a 59% decrease from last year, when an average of 114,469 people applied monthly during the same period.

"The expense has shut the door on many hard-working immigrant families," says report author Flavia Jimenez.

Officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) believe applications are down because so many people rushed to apply before the fees went up. The agency received about 650,000 more applications last year than in 2006, acting deputy director Mike Aytes says.

"We saw a lot of people who chose to file earlier than otherwise," Aytes says. "We do see the numbers starting to come back up."

Still, he acknowledges that this year's numbers are below a typical year.

The agency allows citizenship applicants to apply for waivers if they can't afford the fee and generally approves about two-thirds of the requests, Aytes says. In July, USCIS granted 1,052 fee waivers out of 1,578 requests from citizenship applicants.

Application fees cover most of USCIS' operating and processing costs. The agency increased fees to cover costs and improve services, he says.

The coalition says it's unfair that fees pay for more than the cost of processing applications, such as the agency's administrative expenses.

In the report, the group recommends that the citizenship application fee be tied to the federal minimum wage and calls on Congress to provide funding.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., has proposed legislation that would, in part, allow for increased congressional appropriations. "Citizenship shouldn't be for the wealthy," he says.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which calls for reduced immigration, often finds himself at odds with immigrant advocates. Yet he agrees the fees are "probably too high" and should reflect only processing costs.

"Once you've admitted people to legally reside in the United States, we want them to naturalize," he says. "If they're not, that's a problem."

Azad Ahmed Siddiqui, 62, didn't apply for citizenship with his wife a few years ago because he couldn't afford the fee, says the unemployed Chicago resident. His wife makes minimum wage as a child-care worker.

Siddiqui is saving money for the application by scrimping on food and other household expenses. "We are trying any way possible, but it has been hard for us to get the funds," he says.








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Immigrants are getting priced out of citizenship because they can't afford higher application fees that kicked in last year, according to a report out today.
Citizenship applications plummeted after the fee rose from $400 to $675 on July 30, 2007, says an analysis by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, an immigrant-advocate group.

Let me see if I understand this correctly. They can afford to pay a coyote upwards of $3000 to illegaly enter our country. They can afford cell phones, new cars, homes, multiple children.

Yet, they cannot afford $675 for the greatest gift on the face of this planet - US citizenship!

The agency allows citizenship applicants to apply for waivers if they can't afford the fee and generally approves about two-thirds of the requests, Aytes says. In July, USCIS granted 1,052 fee waivers out of 1,578 requests from citizenship applicants.

It looks like the majority who file a waiver are not paying a dime anyway!!

"Once you've admitted people to legally reside in the United States, we want them to naturalize," he says. "If they're not, that's a problem."

This is pathetic. We give no thought to squandering millions of our dollars on illegal aliens and we punish LEGAL immigrants with this?!?!

Originally Posted by NoBueno

Yet, they cannot afford $675 for the greatest gift on the face of this planet - US citizenship!

Yeeeessssssssss!!!! I say we should raise the price, it's worth much more!

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Citizenship applications plummeted after the fee rose from $400 to $675 on July 30, 2007, says an analysis by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, an immigrant-advocate group.

If they can't afford $675 they are probably destined to become hardship cases requiring future governmental subsidy for survival. Furthermore, you have to be a legal resident green card holder for 5 years before you can apply for citizenship. Anyone that can't save $675 in 5 years is either extremely irresponsible with money or probably not gainfully employed.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., has proposed legislation that would, in part, allow for increased congressional appropriations. "Citizenship shouldn't be for the wealthy," he says.

Geez, if $675 makes you wealthy, than I must be exceedingly rich.

Originally Posted by MW

Citizenship applications plummeted after the fee rose from $400 to $675 on July 30, 2007, says an analysis by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, an immigrant-advocate group.

If they can't afford $675 they are probably destined to become hardship cases requiring future governmental subsidy for survival. Furthermore, you have to be a legal resident green card holder for 5 years before you can apply for citizenship. Anyone that can't save $675 in 5 years is either extremely irresponsible with money or probably not gainfully employed.
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[quote:22rp2yq4]Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., has proposed legislation that would, in part, allow for increased congressional appropriations. "Citizenship shouldn't be for the wealthy," he says.

Geez, if $675 makes you wealthy, than I must be exceedingly rich. 8O[/quote:22rp2yq4]
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The problem is $675 for each member of the family, and then they have to have money to pay for all of the fake documents that they need to prove that they have haven't been using government services illegally and things like that.

JohnDoe2 wrote:

The problem is $675 for each member of the family

Yeah, I understand that, but there is no rule that requires a whole family to apply for citizenship at the same time.

I think we're missing the point here. We are blurring the line between LEGAL immigrants and ILLEGAL aliens.

LEGAL immigrants aka green card holders can apply for citizenship after living in the US and PAYING TAXES for 5 years. Many have assimilated. They have social security numbers or the equivalent and are paying taxes, insurance, etc the same as US citizens are. The only difference is they cannot vote. They are in the same economic hole as many of us. They've waited years and paid tens of thousands of dollars to come legally.

ILLEGAL ALIENS on the other hand are the ones using stolen/fake ID's, not paying taxes or any insurances, they are the ones who can somehow get together $3-10k to pay smugglers to sneak them in. Many of them DO abuse welfare programs via their anchor babies. They are NOT eligible for citizenship as they shouldn't even be here. They refuse to assimilate.

So tell me, WHY should we reward ILLEGAL aliens and punishing LEGAL immigrants?

miguelina wrote:

So tell me, WHY should we reward ILLEGAL aliens and punishing LEGAL immigrants?

I don't consider a cost increase of $275 punishment. Everything else in this country is increasing in cost, why shouldn't the citizenship application fees follow suite? IMO, the citizenship program should be paid for by those seeking to become citizens, not taxpayers.

For the record, I don't doubt, as immigration services has said, that processing costs have increased over the years.

I repeat, this is not a punishment. If processing cost have increased, so should application costs. Legalizing immigrants should not be a taxpayer responsibility. The program should pay for itself.