Beginning on November 23, 2010, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will increase filing fees in an effort to close a projected $200 million deficit for 2010-11. According to USCIS, fee revenue in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 was much lower than projected, and the agency claims that fee revenue in fiscal year 2010 remains low. While USCIS did receive appropriations from Congress and made budget cuts of approximately $160 million, this has not bridged the remaining gap between costs and anticipated revenue.

USCIS will increase the fees for many immigration filings, including most employment-based immigration petitions and applications, and will implement several new fees for applications and services that are currently processed without charge. The new fee schedule will take effect on November 23, 2010, and petitions and applications postmarked on or after November 23rd must include the new fees. These fee increases come just three years after USCIS raised filing fees by 66%.