[Federal Register: December 21, 2001
(Volume 66, Number 246)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 65811-65816]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21de01-1]
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[[Page 65811]]
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Immigration and Naturalization Service
8 CFR Part 103
INS No. 2072-00; AG Order No. 2540-2001
RIN 1115-AF61
Adjustment of Certain Fees of the Immigration Examinations Fee
Account
AGENCY: Immigration and Naturalization Service, Justice.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: This rule adjusts the fee schedule of the
Immigration Examinations Fee Account (IEFA) for certain
immigration and naturalization applications and petitions, as
well as the fee for the fingerprinting of applicants who apply
for certain immigration and naturalization benefits. Fees
collected from persons filing these applications and petitions
are deposited into the IEFA and used to fund the full cost of
processing immigration and naturalization applications and
petitions and associated support benefits; the full cost
of providing similar benefits to asylum and refugee
applicants; and the full cost of similar benefits provided to
other immigrants, as specified in the regulation, at no charge.
This rule ensures that the fees will allow the Immigration and
Naturalization Service (Service) to process applications and
petitions that it expects to receive in fiscal year (FY) 2002 and
FY 2003 and to provide funding to other programs that receive
IEFA funds.
DATES: This final rule is effective February 19, 2002.
Applications or petitions mailed, postmarked, or otherwise filed,
on or after this date require the new fee.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Schlesinger, Chief,
Immigration Services Branch, Office of Budget, Immigration and
Naturalization Service, 425 I Street NW., Room 5307, Washington,
DC 20536, telephone (202) 314-3410.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction
The Service published a proposed rule in the Federal Register on
August 8, 2001, at 66 FR 41456, to adjust certain fees of the
IEFA. The fee adjustments are necessary to comply with specific
federal
immigration laws and the federal user fee statute and
corresponding regulations and guidance, which require federal
agencies to charge a fee for services when such services provide
special benefits to recipients that do not accrue to the public
at large. The revised fees are calculated to recover the full
costs of providing these special benefits. The proposed rule was
published with a 60-day comment period, which closed on October
9, 2001. The Service received 467 comments pertaining to the
increases to the fees of the IEFA. The final rule implements the
fee structure as outlined in the proposed rule, without change.
Any applications or petitions mailed, postmarked, or otherwise
filed, on or after February 19, 2002 will require the new fee.
Comments were received from a broad spectrum of individuals and
organizations, including 5 refugee and immigrant service
organizations, 17 public policy and advocacy groups, 5 attorney
organizations, 129
past and present adopting parents, and 311 concerned citizens or
prospective citizens. All of the comments were carefully
considered before preparing this final rule. The following is a
discussion of these comments and the Service's response.
II. Summary of Comments
A. Form I-600/600A, Petition To Classify an Orphan as
an Immediate Relative/Application for Advance Processing of
Orphan Petitions
One hundred and thirty comments were received expressing
dissatisfaction with the fee increases associated with Forms
I-600 and I-600A, Petition to Classify an Orphan as an Immediate
Relative, and the Application for Advance Processing of Orphan
Petition, respectively. All 130 comments received were similar in
nature. The commenters indicated that these fees discriminated
against United States citizens who wished to adopt abandoned
children living in orphanages around the world.
For the Service, adjudication of the I-600 and I-600A ``orphan
petitions'' has been a priority. This commitment is
established in the regulations at 8 CFR 204.3(a)(2).
Specifically, orphan petitions are filed at District Offices
and adjudicated by senior District Adjudication Officers. This is
due to both the complexity of the international adoption process
in general and the process of adjudication required by law and
regulation. In addition, because of the sensitivity of
international adoptions, handling these cases in District
Offices by experienced officers allows for personalized customer
service.
The Service may be in constant contact with the petitioner
throughout the process of a U.S. citizen's effort to adopt a
child from abroad. The earliest contact may be a request for
information and forms, followed by the filing of the I-600A and
the home study. The adjudication of the I-600A petition requires
knowledge of state law requirements regarding adoptions,
including pre-adoption requirements in certain states, such as
counseling. Each petition must be accompanied by a home study,
for which there are state requirements as well as federal
requirements. Since there is no single national standard, it
makes sense to handle these in District Offices that are better
able to stay on top of ever-changing state requirements and
establish effective local liaisons. The home study process is
complex and often the adjudicator needs to request that
additional information be provided in the home study.
When the child to be adopted is identified, further information
and contact may ensue. Documentation is usually added to the
petition as the adoption process progresses. It is not unusual
for a case to be with the Service for many months, demanding an
intense and protracted level of customer service. There is a
great deal of communication in person, telephonically, and in
writing, between the Service, adoption agencies, social workers,
prospective adoptive parents, and, often, congressional offices
on these cases. The home study review makes this petition
particularly labor-intensive.
[[Page 65812]]
The adjudicator is tasked with the careful review of the home
study, perhaps 10-20 pages long, addressing a number of issues
including, any history of abuse and history of arrests. This
information is carefully compared against Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) fingerprint checks. If necessary, the officer
must request and review the arrest dispositions of petitioners
with criminal records. When there are discrepancies, the home
study must be revised or supplemented to include the new
information and consider the impact it has on the placement.
The I-600 petition establishes eligibility of a child as an
orphan. Adjudication of these petitions requires the Service
to determine if the child meets the regulatory definition of an
orphan. Accordingly, the adjudicator must develop and maintain a
level of expertise in the laws and processes governing adoption
in countries from which children are adopted. This assessment may
require working with the Department of State or Service offices
to verify the validity of documents and interpretation of laws
regarding international adoptions in countries other than the
United States.
Finally, the I-600 adjudication also includes an I-604
investigation. The I-604, Request for and Report on Overseas
Orphan Investigation, is used to document the investigations that
must be completed in every orphan case before the I-600 can be
approved. This includes: the child's birth name, and date/place
of birth; where the child lives, and if the child lives at an
orphanage or with someone other than the biological parent(s),
how and why that placement occurred; the child's physical and
mental condition, and information about any known physical
or mental illnesses (e.g. is the child a special needs child); if
the child has siblings and, if so, if the child lives with the
brothers or sisters; information concerning the child's
biological parents and the determination that the child is an
orphan because he/she has a ``remaining parent'', ``sole
parent'' or ``surviving parent'' (as defined in the
regulations); and any other pertinent facts that the
investigation uncovers. The purpose of the investigation is to
verify that the child is an orphan, address specific concerns
articulated by the adjudicating officer or consular officer that
can only be resolved by an investigation, and resolve significant
differences between the facts presented in the advanced
processing application (Form I-600A or an I-600 approved by an
INS office in the United States). The investigation is conducted
at the overseas visa-issuing post by INS, or by the
Department of State if there is no INS office at that U.S.
Embassy or Consulate. An I-604 investigation often entails travel
to a remote location to establish whether or not a child is
actually an orphan. In many countries, a field investigation may
require 2 or 3 days away from the office. Not every case requires
a field investigation, however, a certain percentage of cases
must have one, if only as an auditing tool. Since the Service
relies on fees to recover the full cost of processing
immigration and naturalization benefits, the increase in fees for
the I-600 and I-600A to $460 is necessary to recover the full
costs associated with processing orphan petitions. Accordingly,
the Service will charge a fee of $460 for processing Forms
I-600 and I-600A.
B. How Will INS Improve Service?
One hundred and twenty-three comments were received opposing the
increase in the fees given the current level of services provided
by the Service. Many people noted the lengthy waiting times to
process their benefit applications as well as the need to improve
overall customer service. Although the Service has made
significant progress in improving productivity in the areas of
naturalization and adjustment of status applications over the
last few years, the Service continues to work toward improving
efficiencies in all aspects of its service. At his confirmation
hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Commissioner James
W. Ziglar clearly stated his commitment to improving customer
service:
If I am confirmed for this position, my primary goal will be to
insure that every person who comes into contact with the
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), regardless of their
citizenship, the circumstances of their birth or any other
distinguishing characteristic, and regardless of the
circumstances under which they find themselves within the ambit
of the INS, will be treated with respect and dignity, and without
any hint of bias or discrimination. The first impression is a
lasting impression and we have only one opportunity to make
a first impression--the first impression of America should be
that of a compassionate, caring, and open nation of opportunity.
The Service is committed to building and maintaining an
immigration services system that provides immigration information
and benefits in a timely, accurate, consistent, courteous, and
professional manner. To support this commitment, the Service has
developed a plan to eliminate backlogs and obtain a 6-month
processing time standard for all applications and petitions. The
plan outlines an aggressive 5-year strategy to reduce the
backlogs. By the end of FY 2003, the Service expects to reach a
national average processing time of 6 months or less for all
applications and petitions. By the end of FY 2004, the
Service
intends to reduce the processing times to 6 months or less at
every Service office. The Service will use the remaining 2 years
to continue improving the infrastructure to ensure that backlogs
do not recur in the future. The Service is committed to improve
the current information technology and business processes to
eliminate all backlogs.
To achieve these results, the Service will:
(1) Set backlog reduction milestones by application for every office,
(2) assign staffing resources to offices based on a comprehensive workload analysis,
(3) monitor office accomplishments of the backlog reduction milestones, and
(4) establish performance incentives for individual offices to meet and exceed the backlog reduction milestones.
The Service is applying a $5 surcharge to each application and
petition to recover information technology and quality assurance
costs associated with application processing. These costs were
not included previously. The Service believes that this
approach will ensure the resources necessary to support
streamlined business processes, including on-line filing and case
status inquiry via telephone or on-line; and expand quality
assurance efforts to ensure the accurate and consistent
adjudication of benefits.It is also important to note that
restructuring of the Service will result in improved services by
clearly separating its conflicting missions of service and
enforcement, clarifying its priorities, and ensuring adequate
resources to carry out its mission.
C. Why INS Believes the Fee Increases Are Reasonable
One hundred and forty-nine comments stated that the fee increase
was either too high or too burdensome on those applying for
immigration and naturalization benefits. Many commenters noted
that the Service
only recently increased the majority of fees.
The Service is increasing fees by an average of $20 per
application/petition, or 17 percent. The current fees, which were
most recently increased in 1998, were based on a fee review that
began in 1996 and was completed in 1997. Those fee levels
reflected costs in 1997.
Other than the $5 per application surcharge for quality assurance
and information technology, the fee
[[Page 65813]]
schedule is based solely on the recovery of costs for general
cost-of-living increases since 1997, not from the period in which
the fees were implemented. Bearing this in mind, the increase in
fees on an annual basis equates to a less than 4 percent
average increase. In this context, the Service believes the fee
increases are reasonable. With regard to the fingerprint fee,
this is the first time the fee was ever reviewed for the purpose
of full cost recovery. As stated in the proposed rule, Congress
directed the Service to implement changes to its fingerprint
process in a short timeframe. To the extent that the revised fee
may be viewed by some as a significant increase over the current
fee, such an increase is both necessary and justified in an
effort to recover the full cost of providing the service in
accordance with applicable fee setting laws, regulations, and
guidance. The Service does have the ability to waive fees on a
case-by-case basis. Any applicant or petitioner who has an
inability to pay the fees may request a fee waiver from either a
District or Service Center Director depending on where the
petition/application is to be filed. Service regulations at
8 CFR 103.7(c) concerning the granting of fee waivers is posted
on the Service Web site at www.ins.usdoj.gov.
D. Why INS Is Raising the Fees Instead of Seeking Additional
Sources of Funding
Thirty-eight of the commenters encouraged the Service to seek
additional sources of funding from Congress instead of relying
solely on fees. From FY 1989 to FY 1998, the fees collected and
deposited into the IEFA have been the sole source of funding
for immigration and naturalization benefits. In creating the
IEFA, Congress intended that the activities supported by this
account be self-sustaining, and not be funded by tax dollars
(P.L. 100-459). The Service has been managing this account
consistent with federal law and congressional direction.
In the past, however, fees did not recover the full costs of
processing applications and petitions. In an effort to eliminate
the backlog this created, Congress provided additional
appropriated resources. With this support, the Service
dramatically improved productivity for naturalization and
adjustment of status benefit applications.
The President included $100 million in the FY 2002 budget request
as the first installment of a multi-year effort to support
elimination of backlogs and overall improvements in service. The
funding sources for the $100 million installment are $20
million from the Premium Processing fee and $80 million in
appropriations. In contrast to the new fees that will recover the
full costs of processing newly filed immigration benefit
applications, the $100 million budget request will provide
funding for reduction and elimination of the current backlog of
immigration benefit applications. The Service will use this
supplemental funding for the backlog elimination plan primarily
to finance the costs of term staffing increases. Without this
additional staff, the Service cannot process enough immigration
benefit applications to meet the processing time goals and
backlog reduction milestones. The Service will also use this
supplemental funding to recover the costs to develop a
performance incentives program for all Service offices.
E. How Will INS Provide Consistent Service?
Five of the commenters opposed increasing fees when service
varies so greatly from office to office. The Service recognizes
the need for a consistent level of service among offices. As
previously stated, the Service's backlog elimination plan
includes a two-step effort to achieve processing time goals for
all immigration benefit applications. In the first step, the
Service will reduce national average processing times to 6
months or less by the end of FY 2003. In the second step, the
Service will achieve the processing time goals of 6 months or
less in every Service office by the end of FY 2004. This fee
schedule will
begin to bring consistency of processing at all field offices, as
well as ensure that backlogs do not recur in the future.
F. Why INS Believes the Fee Methodology Captures Full Costs
Two of the commenters objected to the methodology used to
calculate the proposed fees. Some of the commenters felt that the
activity-based costing methodology calculated fees based upon
inefficient practices.
The fee review adhered to the guidance contained in the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-25, User Charges, which
requires that user charges imposed recover the full cost to the
Government for providing a special benefit. In addition, the
Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (FASAB) provides
additional guidance on the meaning of full-cost recovery. In
FASAB Statement No. 4, full cost is defined as:
The total amount of resources used to produce the output. This includes direct and indirect costs that contribute to the output regardless of funding sources. It also includes costs of supporting services provided by other responsibility segments or entities.
The fees reflect the full cost of processing immigration and
naturalization benefits. The review was conducted consistent with
the requirements of subsection 205(a)(8) of the Chief Financial
Officers
Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101-576, 104 Stat. 2838 (1990) (31 U.S.C.
902(a)(8)), which requires a biennial review of user fees to
ensure that full costs are being recovered.
G. Why Do the Fees Pay for Unrelated Expenses?
Two of the commenters opposed the use of the applicant fees to
pay for expenses that they perceived to be for unrelated
services, such as the running of the asylum, refugee, parole, and
the Cuban-Haitian Entrant programs. In the Departments of
Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1991, Pub. L. 101-515, 104 Stat. 2101 (1990),
Congress authorized the Service to provide certain immigration
and naturalization services at no cost to the applicants.
Subsection 210(d)(2) of Public Law 101-515 states that ``fees for
providing adjudication and naturalization services may be set at
a level that will ensure recovery of the full costs of providing
all such services, including the costs of similar services
provided without charge to asylum applicants or other immigrants.
Such fees may also be set at a level that will recover any
additional costs associated with the administration of the fees
collected.'' (8 U.S.C. 1356(m)). As a result of this legislation,
Congress no longer provided the Service with an appropriation to
cover the costs of asylum and refugee services, and directed the
Service to fund these costs with revenue from the IEFA.
In FY 1996, Congress also authorized the Service to pay for the
cost of the Cuban-Haitian Entrant Resettlement Program from the
IEFA. See H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 104-378, at 83 (1995). In FY 1997,
Congress transferred the cost of other asylum and refugee
services that had been paid from the Violent Crime Trust Fund to
the IEFA. See Pub. L. 104-208, 110 Stat. 3009 (1996). Through
explicit legislative language and subsequent appropriation
action, Congress has signaled its desire that certain asylum and
refugee services should be provided at no charge to the
recipient. The revenue to pay for these costs must be recovered
from the fees charged to other applicants for immigration and
naturalization benefits. All expenses being included for cost
[[Page 65814]]
recovery are consistent with federal law and federal accounting
standards.
Many of these commenters also opposed the Service paying for
costs that are unusual or atypical when compared to the usual
costs in a normal processing year. They claimed that the type of
organizational activities that the Service is currently
engaged in, such as infrastructure building, should not be funded
by current applications and must not be included in the fee
calculation. Proper accounting treatment requires inclusion of
unusual or atypical costs, such as improvement of automation
activities or upgrading of records management. These types
of costs were assigned a useful life, and the cost of these
projects amortized or depreciated over the assigned useful life.
Therefore, a portion of the unusual or atypical cost has
been included in the fee calculation framework for the current
year and treated like any other cost based on the useful life
assigned to that asset.
H. Fee Increases Are Necessary
Seventeen comments were received in favor of the fee
increases.
Commenters noted several reasons for this:
(1) Current fees are too low given the benefit received;
(2) taxpayers should not pay for the increasing costs of providing immigration and naturalization benefits;
(3) fee increases are justified given the increasing demand for immigration and naturalization benefits over the last several years; and
(4) fee increases are necessary in order to increase the current level of services.
I. Separate Versus Blended Fee Schedule
In the proposed rule, the Service requested comments on whether
it should set separate fee schedules for FY 2002 and FY 2003
versus the proposed single, blended schedule effective for both
years. The Service also noted that commenters might want to
consider whether changing fee schedules would unduly confuse
applicants and petitioners.The Service received one comment on
this subject. The commenter was in favor of a separate year
fee schedule. The commenter noted that a separate, single year
fee schedule will allow applicants to follow fee increases in
relation to yearly inflation figures, making it easier to
understand why fees increased more in one year versus another.
The Service respectfully disagrees. Upon consideration of the
issue, the Service has decided that changing fees every year will
create unnecessary confusion with applicants and practitioners.
Therefore, the Service will proceed with the single, blended fee
schedule.
J. Review of the Fee for LIFE Act Adjustment of Status
Applications (I-485)
In the proposed rule, the Service questioned whether it should
change the established $330 fee for filing legalization
applications under section 1104 of the Legal Immigration Family
Equity Act, Pub. L. 106-553, 114 Stat. 2762 (2000) (LIFE
Act). In establishing the fee, on an interim final basis on June
1, 2001, the Service first identified the adjustment of status
application (Form I-485) process as most similar to the new
legalization application process. 66 FR 29661, 29667 (June 1,
2001). The Service then referred to the 1999 fee review, which
identified an estimated full cost of the Form I-485 to be $330.
Id. at
29,668.
The Service questioned the methodology and limited nature of the
1999 fee review and proposed that the Form I-485 fee be $255. Id.
The Service then said it would review the $330 fee established
for filing legalization applications. Id.
Although no comments were received on this subject, the Service
has reviewed the Form I-485 fee for legalization applications and
has deemed it fair and reasonable to reduce the fee from $330 to
$255, and refund the difference to those who have already
paid the $330 fee. The Service will undertake a separate
rulemaking to notify the public of the timing for this action.
III. Fee Adjustments
The fee adjustments, as adopted in this rule, are shown as
follows:
Immigration Examinations Fee Account/Fee Schedule
| Form No. | Description | Fee |
| I-17 | Petition for Approval of
School for Attendance by Non-Immigrant Students. |
230 |
| I-90 | Application to Replace Alien Registration Card. | 130 |
| I-102 | Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival/Departure Document. | 100 |
| I-129 | Petitions for Nonimmigrant Worker. | 130 |
| I-129F | Petition to Classify Nonimmigrant as Fiancé. | 110 |
| I-130 | Petition to Classify
Status of Alien Relative for Issuance of Immigrant Visa. |
130 |
| I-131 | Application for Travel Document. | 110 |
| I-140 | Immigrant Petition
for Alien Worker. |
135 |
| I-191 | Application for Advance
Permission to Return to Unrelinquished Domicile. |
195 |
| I-192 | Application for Advance
Permission to Enter as a Nonimmigrant. |
195 |
| I-193 | Application for Waiver of Passport and/or Visa | 195 |
| I-212 | Application to Reapply for
Admission into the U.S. After Deportation. |
195 |
| I-360 | Petition for Amerasian,
Widow(er), or Special Immigrant. |
130 |
| I-485 | Application to Register
Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. |
255 |
| I-506 | Application for Change of
Nonimmigrant Classification. |
85 |
| I-526 | Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur. | 400 |
| I-539 | Application to Extend/ Change Nonimmigrant Status. | 140 |
| I-600/600A | Petition to Classify
Orphan as an Immediate Relative/Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition. |
460 |
| I-601 | Application for Waiver on Grounds of Excludability. | 195 |
| I-612 | Application for Waiver of
the Foreign Residence Requirement. |
195 |
| I-751 | Petition to Remove the Conditions on Residence. | 145 |
| I-765 | Application for Employment Authorization. | 120 |
| I-817 | Application for Voluntary
Departure under the Family Unity Program. |
140 |
| I-824 | Application for Action on an Approved Application. | |
| I-829 | Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions | 395 |
| N-300 | Application to File Declaration of Intention. | 60 |
| N-336 | Request for Hearing on a
Decision in Naturalization Procedures. |
195 |
[[Page 65815]]
| Form No. | Description | Fee |
| N-400 | Application for Naturalization. | 260 |
| N-470 | Application to Preserve Residence for. | 95 |
| N-565 | Application for Replacement of Naturalization/Citizenship Document. | 155 |
| N-600 | Application for Certification of Citizenship. | 185 |
| N-643 | Application for
Certification of Citizenship in Behalf of an Adopted Child. |
145 |
| For Fingerprinting by the Service. | 50 |
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Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Attorney General, in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 605(b), has
reviewed this regulation and by approving it has determined that
this rule will not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities.
The majority of applications and petitions are submitted by
individuals and not small entities as that term is defined in 5
U.S.C. 601(6). The Service acknowledges, however, that a number
of small entities, particularly those filing business-related
applications and petitions, such as Forms I-140, Immigrant
Petition for Alien Worker; I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien
Entrepreneur; and I-829, Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove
Conditions may be affected by this rule. For FY 2001, the Service
projects approximately 130,000 Forms I-140, 400 Forms I-526, and
400 Forms I-829 will be filed. However, this
volume represents petitions filed by a variety of
businesses, ranging from large multi-national corporations to
small domestic businesses. The Service does not collect data on
the size of the businesses filing petitions, and therefore does
not know the number of small businesses that may be affected by
this rule. Even if all of the employers applying for benefits met
the definition of small businesses, the resulting degree of
economic impact would not require a Regulatory Flexibility
Analysis to be performed.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
This rule will not impose a mandate of enforceable duty on State,
local, and tribal governments in the aggregate, or on the private
sector, and it will not significantly or uniquely affect small
governments. Accordingly, no further actions are necessary under
the provisions of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995.
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996
This rule is a major rule as defined by the Small Business
Regulatory Enforcement Act of 1996, Public Law 104-121, 110 Stat.
847 (1996). Based on the data included in the proposed rule, this
rule will result in an annual effect on the economy of $169
million, in order to generate the revenue necessary to fund the
increased expenses of processing the Service's immigration and
naturalization applications and petitions. The increased fees
will be paid by persons who file applications or petitions to
obtain immigration benefits.
Executive Order 12866
This rule is considered by the Department of Justice to be an
economically ``significant regulatory action'' under
section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and
Review, because it will have an annual effect on the economy of
over $100 million. Without the fee adjustments, the Service
estimates that it will collect approximately $815 million in fees
for immigration and naturalization benefits in FY 2002. If the
fee adjustments become effective on January 1, 2002, the Service
anticipates collecting approximately $942 million in FY
2002--$127 million in additional revenue.
The projected increase in revenues may overstate the actual
receipt of applications and petitions since fewer applications
and petitions may be filed due to the implementation of the
higher fees. The decrease in volume due to the higher fees has a
real economic effect in that there may be fewer people applying
for and receiving benefits paid for by the Service's user fees.
This increase in revenue will be used to fund the processing of
immigration and naturalization applications and petitions. The
revenue increase is based on the Service's costs and workload
volumes. The volume of applications and petitions filed is
projected based on a regression analysis of a 5-year history of
actual applications and petitions received by the Service. The
regression analysis is adjusted for any anticipated or actual
changes in laws, policies, or procedures that may affect future
filing patterns. The proposed fees will be paid by an estimated
6.6 million individuals and businesses filing immigration and
naturalization applications and petitions. Accordingly, this
regulation has been reviewed by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB).
Executive Order 13132
This rule will not have substantial direct effects on the States,
on the relationship between the national government and the
States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities
among the various levels of government. Therefore, in accordance
with section 6 of Executive Order 13132, the Department has
determined that this rule does not have sufficient federalism
implications to warrant the preparation of a federalism summary
impact statement.
Executive Order 12988
This rule meets the applicable standards set forth in sections
3(a) and 3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988.
Paperwork Reduction Act
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, 109
Stat. 163 (1995), all Departments are required to submit to OMB,
for review and approval, any reporting or record keeping
requirements inherent in a final rule. This rule does not
impose any new reporting or record keeping requirements under the
Paperwork Reduction Act.
However, it should be noted that the Service solicited public
comments on the change of fees in the proposed rule which was
published in the Federal Register on August 8, 2001. It should
also be noted that the changes to the fees will require
changes to the application/petition forms to reflect the new
fees. As a result of the changes to the forms, the Service will
be submitting the forms to OMB for its approval.
List of Subjects in 8 CFR Part 103
Administrative practice and procedure, Authority delegations
(Government agencies), Freedom of Information, Privacy, Reporting
and record keeping requirements, Surety bonds.
Accordingly, part 103 of chapter I of title 8 of the Code of
Federal Regulations is amended as follows:
[[Page 65816]]
PART 103--POWERS AND DUTIES OF SERVICE OFFICERS; AVAILABILITY
OF SERVICE RECORDS
1. The authority citation for part 103 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552, 552(a); 8 U.S.C. 1101, 1103, 1304, 1356; 31 U.S.C. 9701; E.O. 12356, 47 FR 14874, 15557; 3 CFR, 1982 Comp., p. 166; 8 CFR part 2.
2. In Sec. 103.7, paragraph (b)(1) is amended by revising the entry ``For fingerprinting by the Service'' and by revising the entries for the following forms. The revisions read as follows:
Sec. 103.7 Fees.
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(b) * * *
(1) * * *
* * * * *
For fingerprinting by the Service. A service fee of $50 will be charged by the Service for any individual who is required to be fingerprinted in connection with an application or petition for certain immigration and naturalization benefits (other than asylum), and whose residence is in the United States as defined in section
101(a)(38) of the Act.
* * * * *
Form I-17. For filing an application for school approval, except in the case of a school or school system owned or operated as a public educational institution or system by the United States or a state or political subdivision thereof--$230.00.
* * * * *
Form I-90. For filing an application for a Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) in lieu of an obsolete card or in lieu of one lost, mutilated, or destroyed, or for a change in name--$130.00.
* * * * *
Form I-102. For filing a petition for an application (Form I-102) for Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94) or Crewman's Landing (Form I-95), in lieu of one lost, mutilated, or destroyed--$100.00.
Form I-129. For filing a petition for a nonimmigrant worker, a base fee of $130. For filing an H-1B petition, a base fee of $130 plus an additional $1,000 fee in a single remittance of $1,130. The
remittance may be in the form of one or two checks (one in the amount of $1,000 and the other in the amount of $130). Payment of this additional $1,000 fee is not waivable under Sec. 103.7(c)(1).
Payment of this additional $1,000 fee is not required if an organization is exempt under Sec. 214.2(h)(19)(iii) of this chapter, and this additional $1,000 fee also does not apply to certain
filings by any employer as provided in Sec. 214.2(h)(19)(v) of this chapter.
Form I-129F. For filing a petition to classify nonimmigrant as fiancée or fiancé under section 214(d) of the Act--$110.00.Form I-130. For filing a petition to classify status of alien relative for issuance of immigrant visa under section 204(a) of the Act--$130.00.
Form I-131. For filing an application for travel documents--$110.00.
Form I-140. For filing a petition to classify preference status of an alien on the basis of profession or occupation under section 204(a) of the Act--$135.00.
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Form I-191. For filing applications for discretionary relief under section 212(c) of the Act--$195.00.
Form I-192. For filing an application for discretionary relief under section 212(d)(3) of the Act, except in an emergency case, or where the approval of the application is in the interest of the United States Government--$195.00.
Form I-193. For filing an application for waiver of passport and/or visa--$195.00.
Form I-212. For filing an application for permission to reapply for an excluded, deported or removed alien, an alien who has fallen into distress, an alien who has been removed as an alien enemy, or an alien who has been removed at Government expense in lieu of deportation--$195.00.
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Form I-360. For filing a petition for an Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant--$130.00, except there is no fee for a petition seeking classification as an Amerasian.
Form I-485. For filing an application for permanent resident status or creation of a record of lawful permanent residence--$255.00 for an applicant 14 years of age or older; $160.00 for an applicant under the age of 14 years; no fee for an applicant filing as a refugee under section 209(a) of the Act.
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Form I-506. For filing an application for change of nonimmigrant classification under section 248 of the Act--$85.00.
Form I-526. For filing a petition for an alien entrepreneur--$400.00.
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Form I-539. For filing an application to extend or change nonimmigrant status--$140.00.
* * * * *
Form I-600. For filing a petition to classify orphan as an immediate relative for issuance of immigrant visa under section 204(a) of the Act. (When more than one petition is submitted by the same petitioner on behalf of orphans who are brothers or sisters, only one fee will be required.)--$460.00.
Form I-600A. For filing an application for advance processing of orphan petition. (When more than one petition is submitted by the same petitioner on behalf of orphans who are brothers or sisters,
only one fee will be required.)--$460.00.
Form I-601. For filing an application for waiver of ground of inadmissibility under section 212(h) or (i) of the Act. (Only a single application and fee shall be required when the alien is applying simultaneously for a waiver under both those subsections.)--$195.00.
Form I-612. For filing an application for waiver of the foreign-residence requirement under section 212(e) of the Act--$195.00.
* * * * *
Form I-751. For filing a petition to remove the conditions on residence, based on marriage--$145.00.
Form I-765. For filing an application for employment authorization pursuant to 8 CFR 274a.13--$120.00.
* * * * *
Form I-817. For filing an application for voluntary departure under the Family Unity Program--$140.00.
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Form I-824. For filing for action on an approved application or petition--$140.00.
Form I-829. For filing a petition by entrepreneur to remove conditions--$395.00.
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Form N-300. For filing an application for declaration of intention--$60.00.
Form N-336. For filing a request for hearing on a decision in naturalization proceedings under section 366 of the Act--$195.00.
Form N-400. For filing an application for naturalization--$260.00.
* * * * *
Form N-470. For filing an application for section 316(b) or 317 of the Act benefits--$95.00.
Form N-565. For filing an application for a certificate of naturalization or declaration of intention in lieu of a certificate or declaration alleged to have been lost, mutilated, or destroyed; for a certificate of citizenship in a changed name under section 343(c) of the Act; or for a special certificate of naturalization to obtain recognition as a citizen of the United States by a foreign state under section 343(b) of the Act--$155.00.
Form N-600. For filing an application for a certificate of citizenship under section 309(c) or section 341 of the Act--$185.00.
Form N-643. For filing an application for a certificate of citizenship on behalf of an adopted child--$145.00.
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Dated: December 17, 2001.
John Ashcroft,
Attorney General.
[FR Doc. 01-31452 Filed 12-18-01; 12:09 pm]