These new fees are so unfair !!

[Jenn! 918]

I don't get this argument that if you have a hard time with the fee increases, then you have no business sponsoring your spouse/fiance. What kid of elitist argument is that? What if the fees doubled? tripled? Would that argument still hold water?

Yes, it would.

So at what point would that argument be unreasonable then?

What if the fee were $10,000? Would you still say that if you can't afford that then you have no business sponsoring your immigrant spouse?

But it can cost that much when you factor in income lost due to being unable to work.

Yes, true. But right now the fee is not $10,000, otherwise you would be paying $10,000 in loss of work in addition to the $10,000 fee.

My point is where do you draw the line? As far as I know, the requirement for being a sponsor is making above the poverty level. If you expect a person to be able to afford whatever fee you throw at them to prove that they are capable of support, then obviously the poverty level requirement is not sufficient.

Increased fees should not be a way to weed out potential applicants. Although it seems that some are arguing that it should be. We already have a system in place for that.

[Yodrak 7]

Ever looked into the cost of adopting a child?

What if the fee were $10,000? Would you still say that if you can't afford that then you have no business sponsoring your immigrant spouse?

[trueimage 0]

No one is condoning illegal immigration. That's why we are all here trying to obtain passage for our loved ones legally. But there are two sides to everything. Put yourselves in their shoes. What wouldn't you do for your family? What wouldn't you do to feed your starving children? What wouldn't you do get money for treatment for your ailing mother who will die without it? I thank God that I was born American and don't live in an impoverished country. I'm not supporting illegal immigration in any way, but I don't see anything wrong with having a little compassion for someone who is only trying to survive. I can't imagine living on the border and knowing that right on the other side of the river is different world. I see it everyday because I do live on the border...but on this side. No, we can not accept illegal immigration in our country. We already have enough problems. But to hate a people because they seek to better their lives and the lives of their families is sad. I don't know what I would do, but I know that I love my children more than anything and faced with desperation.....I would probably do what ever it took to take care of them. Think about it. To be in a situation as in the above post (suffocating in the back of a truck, etc) means that you are desperate. You would not put yourself there just for the adventure. Yes, it's wrong, but I don't think it's reason enough to stereotype a people or have malice towards them. I would probably do the same thing. We cannot let them come here illegally, but we can at least try to understand why they do.

[Jenn! 918]

Ever looked into the cost of adopting a child?

What if the fee were $10,000? Would you still say that if you can't afford that then you have no business sponsoring your immigrant spouse?

No.

[Sinergy 3]

I thought the fees as are now were expensive, lol i needed my mom to co-sponsor, i afforded everything even tho it wasnt easy with a new baby at the time and my daughter, but i sacrificed alot of personal needs (makeup, going to movies, ect) in order to afford to get my hubby here.

[mawilson 2,133]

So at what point would that argument be unreasonable then?

What if the fee were $10,000? Would you still say that if you can't afford that then you have no business sponsoring your immigrant spouse?

Probably not. $10,000 seems excessive for a visa application fee. The poverty line

is what, about $15,000 for a family of two? It's not unreasonable to assume that

given enough time, even a very poor person can save up $1,000 for something as

important as a visa petition for his or her SO.

[Jenn! 918]

So at what point would that argument be unreasonable then?

What if the fee were $10,000? Would you still say that if you can't afford that then you have no business sponsoring your immigrant spouse?

Probably not. $10,000 seems excessive for a visa application fee. The poverty line

is what, about $15,000 for a family of two? It's not unreasonable to assume that

given enough time, even a very poor person can save up $1,000 for something as

important as a visa petition for his or her SO.

Sure, but I thought the argument was that if you had to delay filing in order to save up for the new filing fees, then you have no business sponsoring an immigrant.

ETA: BTW, I don't think these fee increases are unreasonable. But I don't agree with the idea that one should be a six figure earner before they are worthy of bringing their spouse to the U.S.

Edited July 11, 2007 by jenn3539

[mawilson 2,133]

Sure, but I thought the argument was that if you had to delay filing in order to save up for the new filing fees, then you have no business sponsoring an immigrant.

ETA: BTW, I don't think these fee increases are unreasonable. But I don't agree with the idea that one should be a six figure earner before they are worthy of bringing their spouse to the U.S.

I agree.

FWIW, I think USCIS should introduce payment plans. Many people don't have a spare

$1,000 lying around in their bank account; it seems unfair to keep them waiting until they do.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

ETA: BTW, I don't think these fee increases are unreasonable. But I don't agree with the idea that one should be a six figure earner before they are worthy of bringing their spouse to the U.S.

I don't know that I'm reading that into this at all - that $10,000 hit you take from not working is a serious one that will take a toll on a new marriage, even those who are quite comfortable and can afford an extra $500 for AOS no problem. If the extra $500 is such an issue, people need to think overall at what the total cost of immigrating to another country really is.

[no name 1]

ETA: BTW, I don't think these fee increases are unreasonable. But I don't agree with the idea that one should be a six figure earner before they are worthy of bringing their spouse to the U.S.

I don't know that I'm reading that into this at all - that $10,000 hit you take from not working is a serious one that will take a toll on a new marriage, even those who are quite comfortable and can afford an extra $500 for AOS no problem. If the extra $500 is such an issue, people need to think overall at what the total cost of immigrating to another country really is.

FWIW, I think USCIS should introduce payment plans. Many people don't have a spare $1,000 lying around in their bank account; it seems unfair to keep them waiting until they do.

Really? That is not much for a working adult who has a family or is thinking about one...

[chri'stina 190]

ETA: BTW, I don't think these fee increases are unreasonable. But I don't agree with the idea that one should be a six figure earner before they are worthy of bringing their spouse to the U.S.

I don't know that I'm reading that into this at all - that $10,000 hit you take from not working is a serious one that will take a toll on a new marriage, even those who are quite comfortable and can afford an extra $500 for AOS no problem. If the extra $500 is such an issue, people need to think overall at what the total cost of immigrating to another country really is.

The problem in our case back then when Sujeet arrived, was that I did not have a very great paying job, and still lived with my parents. I didn't have years of a career under my belt, I was only 23 when Sujeet arrived. It was a given that Sujeet would be the person who would actually be able to make a lot of the money we'd need after getting a job here because of his skills.

We had to live with my parents until Sujeet got a job and we could afford to move out on our own. Now we are doing fine financially enough that I don't even work anymore and we can pay everything on Sujeet's salary and we have bought a house, etc.

So yes it was hard for us at the beginning but that doesn't mean it will always be hard for people. And those fees were hard to pay when filing for AOS/EAD/AP. So I don't think that if someone thinks an additional $500 is a lot it means that they won't make it financially in their marriage or will have a rough time. It's money that other couples don't have to pay who met in the US to be able to have a life together in the US. Money that other couples don't have to take out of their wedding gift money in order to pay for AOS.

[mawilson 2,133]

FWIW, I think USCIS should introduce payment plans. Many people don't have a spare $1,000 lying around in their bank account; it seems unfair to keep them waiting until they do.

Really? That is not much for a working adult who has a family or is thinking about one...

You'd be surprised how many broke-аss losers want to try-n-buy a mail-order fiancé(e).

[TimsDaisy 0]

New fees or a return of the backlog.

Or convince the American public to fund USCIS with taxes.

Other than that, there aren't many alternatives.

[jundp 191]

sigh..................

amen..fees go up..it is the illegals fault..gas price rise blame it on the illegals..your kid gets a D on his report card..illegals fault again..

Is that why my son didn't pass his AP exam? Sheesh. Totally thought it was because he didn't study enough

FWIW, I think USCIS should introduce payment plans. Many people don't have a spare $1,000 lying around in their bank account; it seems unfair to keep them waiting until they do.

Really? That is not much for a working adult who has a family or is thinking about one...

I don't know about that. I have a good career, but not one that makes me a ton of money. I am well-educated and am able to support my family. But I don't have a spare $1000 lying around. I am setting aside extra money every month (separate from what I am normally tryiing to save that is) and I took an extra job simply to have the money to cover the visa fees. My fiance should have no problems finding a good job once he has work authorization, but until then, we are both saving money to cover the costs. But it hasn't been easy to do this. I'm doing it because I want him here, and he's doing the same, but to say that $1000 isn't much for the average working adult is a bit generalized, IMHO.

[Mags 112]

FWIW, I think USCIS should introduce payment plans. Many people don't have a spare $1,000 lying around in their bank account; it seems unfair to keep them waiting until they do.

Really? That is not much for a working adult who has a family or is thinking about one...

I would actually think that people who have families are less inclined to have $1000 laying around. Money can get eaten up by bills, food, clothing and general "life with kids" things. Children can mean you need a bigger home and therefore you have higher mortgage or rent payments too. Wages then get eaten up very quickly.

Considering that there are millions of people with very low earnings, especially in certain areas of the US, I think the expectation that they should have $1000 in the bank laying around doing nothing is wrong.

Not everyone lives in New York or LA earning big bucks.

Edited July 11, 2007 by mags