WASHINGTON D.C. – The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) today announced revisions to its fees for immigration benefits and services. The new fees were published in today’s Federal Register and will become effective on February 19, 2002; 60 days after publication.

Federal guidelines require INS to review fees every two years to ensure that it is recovering the costs of providing immigration services, rather than supporting those services with tax revenue. INS last reviewed and revised fees in Fiscal Year (FY) 1999. The average fee increase of $20 per application adjusts for inflation and recovers the costs of infrastructure investments that are not included in the current fee levels. The fee adjustment provides INS with the funding needed to process new immigration petitions and applications in a timely manner.

“This adjustment is key to INS’ dedication to provide accurate immigration information and benefits to our customers in a courteous and professional manner “ said William Yates, INS’ Executive Associate Commissioner for Immigration Services. “We are committed to making every effort to process INS applications in a timely manner and help people move one step closer to living the American dream.”

INS will continue to accept and process applications and petitions with the old fees until February 19, 2002; when the new fees take effect. In certain circumstances, INS has the ability to waive fees. Guidelines for requesting a fee waiver can be found on the INS website; www.INS.gov.

- INS -