Fee Waivers

[silly_chick 0]

Hi all,

I've been looking for any kind of info about USCIS fee waivers on the net - no luck. I did a search on this forum, but all I got was a gazillion of some mysterious IMBRA waivers, wiavers of grounds of unadmissability etc. Seems like everybody's doing well financially and can afford to pay almost $1,000 for AOS to USCIS

Anyways, if anyone has any experience applying for a fee waiver, please, share it! I would appreciate it a lot. Actually, we already sent our paperwork with a very well documented fee waiver request, so I may be the frist on this forum to have done this. If our waiver is denied, USCIS will return our package (which is good - we won't have to fill it all out again!) and we will have to find money to write those checks (and in our situation, it is a very significant amount).

Please, if you ever did this, or if you know somebody who did, share your experience!

[LaL 418]

where did YOU see that there is a fee waiver available?

I really have to add, while I dont know the real answer, I just cant fathom there being any sort of *fee waiver*. I mean, if you can't afford to file, you must need to use a co-sponsor, who could probably help in the fee dept among other things.

I would really like to be shown where you saw this information, but I amagine I won't see anything other than, oh, my cousins' wife's friend's mother said it was done in her case

[silly_chick 0]

where did YOU see that there is a fee waiver available?

I really have to add, while I dont know the real answer, I just cant fathom there being any sort of *fee waiver*. I mean, if you can't afford to file, you must need to use a co-sponsor, who could probably help in the fee dept among other things.

I would really like to be shown where you saw this information, but I amagine I won't see anything other than, oh, my cousins' wife's friend's mother said it was done in her case

BEFORE making rude comments, maybe you should have done some research. Here's the link: http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/for...info.htm#Waiver

USCIS fee waiver policy does exist, and I haven't heard it from my brother or neighbour, because unlike some other people, I don't talk about things I don't know.

I came here to get some help and guidance, if you can't do that, why bother posting?

[Kez/JWolf 6]

Your sponsor or co-sponsor will be asked to pay the fee's This is one of the reasons that the sponsor/co-sponsor has to show they have enought income to support the immigrant once they have arrived here in the USA...

Kezzie

[LaL 418]

LOL excuse ME silly chick My guidance to you was that I have been around for quite some time, and have yet to see this done. Thank you for providing me with the link. I would be interested in seeing how this pans out.

[M. 0]

Considering this is on the Fee Waiver instructions:

In all fee waiver requests applicants are required to demonstrate an "inability to pay." In determining "inability to pay," USCIS Officers may consider the following situations and criteria regarding the

applicant:

• Whether the individual has demonstrated that within the last 180 days, he or she qualified for or
  received a "federal means-tested public benefit". This may include, but is not limited to, Food Stamps, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, and Temporary Assistance of Needy Families or other public benefit.
  
• Whether the individual has demonstrated that his or her household income, on which taxes were paid for the most recent tax year, is at or below the poverty level contained in the most recent poverty guidelines revised annually by the Secretary of Health and Human Services' "Poverty Guidelines".
  
• Humanitarian or compassionate reasons, either temporary or permanent, which justify a granting of
  a fee waiver request. For example: the applicant is temporarily destitute; the applicant does not
  own, possess, or control assets sufficient to pay the fee without a showing of substantial hardship;
  or an applicant is on a fixed income and confined to a nursing home.
  

AND

considering that you cannot rely on public assistance or be at or below the poverty level to apply for AOS, I'm pretty sure this will be returned to you and you'll have to pay up.

I mean, the entire reason there's a sponsorship part of the application process is to prove that you're 125% (100% if Active Status in the military) above the poverty lines and do not qualify for government assistance -- both of which disqualifies you from using the fee waiver.

[Killer_Clown_2009 0]

Er....

Can the person who posted the part about co sponsor being asked to pay the fees, show me some proof to back that statement up.

Fee Waiver exists because some people CAN'T pay the fees (and yes, I know a few people have been granted it).

If you guys can't offer anything constructive, consider not posting.

One more thing, meeting the poverty guidelines, certainly DOES NOT disqualify you from recieving the fee waiver. Please go re-read the policy, because you are misinformed and/or making invalid assumptions.

[Cristy 4]

I would be very interested to see a working link that shows a fee waiver is available for AOS.

It seems like if you can't pay you can't really afford to sponsor.

We paid a lot more than $1000 for me and 3 kids. It was tough but we knew it was coming and had it banked away.

Edited November 8, 2006 by cristy

[Killer_Clown_2009 0]

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1____

or go to the USCIS site and search for "fee waiver"

it's the first link in the bunch the search will bring up.

sorry, if i seem riled up, this is something that is available and that some people really need.

no, they don't make u ask the co sponsor. it's not the co-sponsor's responsibility to pay this fee either.

8 C.F.R. 103.7 in the immigration legislation, it includes MOST fees, including ASO, EAD etc.

http://www.uscis.gov/propub/ProPubVAP.jsp?...131086cb140e31c

[sjoefl01 1]

From your link,

Applicants should be aware that certain immigration benefits have income requirements or require evidence that the applicant or beneficiary is not likely to become a public charge (for example: nonimmigrant visa petitions, family-based visa petitions, classifying an orphan as an immediate relative, employment-based visa petitions, employment authorizations, travel documents, and advance parole.)

It sounds like they are trying to warn you.

[Cristy 4]

I agree with the above poster and I would add if you qualify for a fee waiver it seems unlikely that you would qualify to sponsor.

[rebeccajo 14]

Your sponsor or co-sponsor will be asked to pay the fee's This is one of the reasons that the sponsor/co-sponsor has to show they have enought income to support the immigrant once they have arrived here in the USA...

Kezzie

*waves to Kezzie*

[Mrs_S 0]

I believe there is a VJ member, Glorya, who has experience with fee waivers.

[Glorya 0]

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1____

[Glorya 0]

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1____

Your sponsor is not responsible for your fees... You are. If you cannot afford to pay, you can apply for a fee waiver but you HAVE TO PROOVE financial need. What we did, we sent how much money we have available monthly (pay stubs & bank statements) and our monthly bills and expenses. We explained in cover letter that we were unable to pay for such & such reason (husband was a full-time student). We also said it would be a significant hardship etc. We sent our lease and copies of checks for the rent and other bills. We were approved . I know there used to be a form for a fee waiver, which we used but I cannot find it anymore.

http://149.101.23.2/lpBin/lpext.dll/insert...ument-frame.htm

http://www.illinoislegalaid.org/index.cfm?...p;contentid=702

Check this out.

Good luck

Actually, disregard this EOIR-26A form and read article about Illinois Legal Aid

eoir26a.pdf