There was a piece yesterday in the Minneapolis Star Tribune (http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1213416.html) which, to highlight mentions, major changes in fees on the horizon:
"• The application fee for citizenship would increase from $330 to $675.
• The fee to apply for status as a legal permanent resident would go from $325 to $1,010 for most applicants. Those 79 and older or younger than 14 would pay $930.
• The cost of work permits would rise from $180 to $340.
Most fees include the cost of fingerprints, which were $70. The agency will continue to waive fees for military members applying for naturalization.
For more on the new structure, www.uscis.gov."
Brazenly enough, the USCIS page elsewhere still proclaims that "citizenship is the greatest gift the government can bestow upon an individual". Kinda of expensive "gift", I would say. What I expected to be a $330 or maybe $660 expense could conceivably now be $1,350.00. My girls are sooo worth it, but still.....geez.
Anybody up on this? Does it apply to those already in the process? We haven't applied for citizenship yet, it'll be another year before we can for the wife. And, what about kids? We have an 8 year old as well. Up till now (in the PR stage) she has been "riding on her mom's coat tails", being included in her mother's paperwork without additional fees for the most part. Wondering if we are going to get burned twice on the citizenship deal. If so, I better start saving now!!
Anybody?
Tom
