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LIMAP
Thursday, November 08, 2007 |
Email: Editor@limap.org |
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Immigration Fees For Documents May
Increase |
Philadelphia: 3/6/2007: Immigrants
struggling to cope with cultural shocks and
transitional issues such as housing and
employment in a new environment in the
United States now have other headaches
coming their way. There will be an
increase in fess for applications for legal
documents, including employment
authorization and change of legal status.
A current fee of $255 being paid for form
I-687 (application for Status as a Temporary
Resident) is expected to increase to $710,
according to a document being released by
the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration
Services. Other fees to be increased are
I-485 (Application to Register Permanent
Residence or Adjust Status) from $325 to
$905.00; fees for application to adjust
status from Temporary Resident to Permanent
Resident from $180.00 to $1, 370.00 and fees
for application for Employment Authorization
from $180.00 to $340.00.
The fees increased also affect application
for Naturalization which current fees of
$330 may jump to $595.00, while the fees of
$65 may increase to $130 for application for
replacement of Employment Authorization card
or Temporary Resident card. Those applying
for travel documents may be paying $305
instead of $170 check currently being
written to the immigrant coffers.
The fees for documents may not be the only
surprise in the hat of the BCIS, but fees to
appeal decisions and seek redress for
decisions not acceptable to immigrants in
the process to adjust their status are also
being considered for increment. The $110
being paid for Notice of Appeal of Decisions
is being proposed to increase to $545.00,
while applicants may have to pay $545
instead of the current $265 for application
to Appeal for any decisions other than BIA;
Motion to reopen or reconsider decision
other than BIA.
It is not yet clear as to when these
proposed increased fees will take effect,
but these proposals are already causing
alarm in the immigrant communities around
the country and being viewed as a subtle
attempt by anti-immigrant proponents of the
United States government to advance their
current anti-immigrant agenda.
"Some of the increases in such application
forms as Appeal of decisions and change of
status clearly tell us that economics is now
being used to deny immigrants their basic
rights to appeal decisions against their
interest or change their status to permanent
legal status," an official of the Coalition
of African Communities (AFRICOM) expressed
during a recent meeting of the Coalition to
discuss plans for a Town Hall meeting for
members of the African immigrant communities
in Philadelphia and its environs to engage
members of the BCIS on the matter.
The Town Hall meeting, according to release
issued by AFRICOM, is expected to be held
this Saturday, March 10, beginning at
3:30pm in the Houston Hall, Golkin Room
#223 on the campus of the University of
Pennsylvania located at 3417 Spruce Street
in Philadelphia.
"We are asking all members of the African
immigrants communities to show up to
express their concerns on this very delicate
matter which has a serious impact on their
continued legal stay in the United States,"
the Chairman of AFRICOM, Dr. Phillip
Udo-Inyang, has appealed.
Dr. Udo-Inyang explained that senior
officials of the Immigrant Fee section or
department of the BCIS are expected to serve
on a panel to share more information on the
basis for the proposed increase in fees and
for these immigration officials to
understand the impact of these decisions on
our communities.
" We are hoping that at the end of the
dialogue there may be a change of heart and
a positive outcome to influence this
situation, ' an official of the Liberian
Association of Pennsylvania(LAP) intimated,
adding that this developing situation comes
amidst the problem of termination of
Temporary Protective Status(TPS) of
Liberians residing in the United States in
October, 2007.
But the Immigration Committee of the Union
of Liberia Associations in the Americas (ULAA)
has increased its campaign to prevent the
termination and there are plans underway to
hold a National Immigration Conference this
month to develop a national strategy to
address the TPS issue. The Conference is
expected to be attended by collaborating
agencies and organizations as well as
Liberian immigration experts and lawyers to
assist the Union formulate its strategy.
The Liberian Embassy is also expected to be
a part of this deliberation tentatively set
to take place in Trenton, New Jersey during
the National Leadership Council meeting of
the Union headed by President Emmanuel W.
Wettee.
Besides the Conference, the Liberian Bill
S526, which was introduced last year by
Senators Jack Reed and Patrick Kennedy of
Rhode Island as part of the National
Comprehensive Immigration Bill in the United
States Congress but defeated, may once more
find way its way on the floor of Congress
when the Comprehensive Immigration Bill is
reintroduced this year, hoping this time to
be passed along with the Comprehensive
Immigration Bill.
The Senators have already informed the
Liberian community of their intention to
reintroduce the Bill on the Senate
Floor.
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