WATCH OUT FOR THAT FEE CHANGE!
We sent our I-751, new addition with a check in the amount of $275 to CSC on Monday, Dec 18. They got it, rearranged things in it and sent it back with a checked box saying, "The fee is $205". Now I don't know what to do. If I send it back with $205 I'm afraid they will send it back to me again saying the fee is $275. I had already purchased a money order for $205 but when I read the new form I sent in the 275. The money order cost 10 bucks and the mailing cost 9. NSC was a walk in the park compared to this.

You can get a money order at any post office for $0.95.

Looks like someone at CSC fails to understand that the fee changed to reflect collecting the additional $70 for the biometrics Fee. I would return them the $275 fee, along with a note explaining the $275 and that you were just reading and following the instructions, and the page from the I-751 instructions with the fee highlighted.

$10 is way to much to pay for a MO. The post office offers them for less than a buck, and they are guaranteed, and draw from the US Treasury department, they are as good as US Dollar Bills which are also printed by the same department (US MINT), and are also backed by the US treasury.

Well my bank usually gives them to me free but I had forgotten that I had withdrawn funds when some CDs had matured. It was either pay the 10 bucks or leave and wait in a Christmas line at a PO. Sorry I mentioned it. Of course the real stupidity was me not remembering that they will take a personal check on our JOINT bank account.
I hesitate to send anything back to them with a note. The people who open our envelopes are contract employees, not USCIS personnel. A few years ago at CSC there was a problem with a group of them, all from another country, not understanding something and shredding a bunch of files.

Could you send back 2 cheques? One for $205.00 and one for $70.00 marked biometric fee and if there are any issues (and they don't want your $70.00, they can return it)?

Thanks, that's an idea. Think I'll try it. Film at 11.

Unbelievable! I mailed mine the same day dec. 18th with $205 fee and I recalled 3 hours later at the same post office in order to change the fee. I sent it again next day dec. 19th with the new fee $275 and no pics. I just can't believe it!
Can't we complain? I don't think this is fair!
I haven't got any news yet about my 751! I only know that my 751 reached Vermont on Dec. 23rd morning... 5 days later.

I picked up some info on another site and decided to send a check for $205 stapled above the box where they asked me for that amount. I also included the 2 photos. Mailed this morning, 12/26. I probably won't know any more till 1/2/2007. CSC gets mail from LA the next day but massages it for a couple of days before sending anything back. If they kick this one back I will probably get in touch with the congressman from this district and complain. Good luck to you all.

Can you not send a 2 personal checks 1 for $205 and the other for $70... I paid for my AOS by Personal checks and had no problems....

Kez

nscvet,

What fee change? There's been no public announcement, nothing in the Federal Register. Maybe the employee's who need to be clued in are the ones who updated the web site.

Yodrak

fee change only recorded on new i-751 form as far as i can see,..

jodee

jodee,

The fee for the I-751 remains $205. No change there. The question is, having once paid the $70 biometrics fee (back at AOS time), does one have to pay it again for a new biometrics at removal of conditions.

Keep in mind, the reason that was used to justify the $70 fee was the high cost of the new biometrics procedure - which was intended to be elecronically saved for later retrieval so that the person would not have to go back to an ASC again for subsequent applications. USCIS has failed to deliver on that, and until they get the retrieval part up and running subsequent visits to the ASC are still required.

My thought, based on the limited information available at this point, is that someone has botched the biometics fee information, just as it was previously botched with I-765 on the old USCIS web site (although not on the form instructions). That error has been corrected on the new web site.

Yodrak

Sorry Yodrak,..was being lazy when I wrote that,..On the form it states

FILING FEE:$275
Special Instructions: the $70 biometric fee is included in the $275 fee listed

I meant to say that on the form it states the the fee is combined,...ie...205 for the application, and 70 for the biometrics. no seperate bio fee anymore. And no sending in of pics anymore,....

Not that that made a diffrence anyways...I sent in pics( before the change to the form) and they sent me an approval stating I still had to attend an office Stateside to submit pics,..which i did On the 18th Dec, when I came home for Christmas...

Jodee

In the past two weeks, small changes have been made on the USCIS website and also to the instructions but no blanket announcement made. Had not someone made an announcement in visa journey, I would have missed the info as my package was created several weeks ago. I have now noticed another small change on the website. It was a little confusing before, now it clearly states "The $70 biometric fee is included in the $275 fee listed."

Previously it said;

"$275.00
Special Instructions:
A $70 biometrics fee is also required."

Noted to add:...When I attended Fresno office on December 18,..they did ask me if I received a letter to have Biometrics done, I said no, that I was expecting one, but figured considering my prints are on file in the US Mil system, and were therefore not required....She said no, I shoulda got a letter and I was the second one to not have them requested that day,..she proceeded to take one solitary fongerprint, and that was that, I paid no extra bio fee, and only ever did that once at Aos stage, mind you, I had old style manual printing done cause the electronic scanning would not work on my prints,..lol..

Jodee

Well CSC has apparently accepted our I-751 app which I sent in again on Dec 26. I sent them $205 and also enclosed two photos just to be on the safe side.
Bob