New Fee for Immigrants coming to the United States.

[Robertt S]

USCIS Immigrant Fee

Effective February 1, 2013

About the Fee
 Foreign nationals who seek permanent residence in the United States and receive an immigrant visa will need to pay a USCIS Immigrant Fee beginning February 1, 2013.
 The new fee of $165 was established in USCIS’s final rule adjusting fees for immigration applications and petitions announced on Sept. 24, 2010. USCIS has worked closely with the Department of State (DOS) to implement the new fee which allows USCIS to recover the cost of processing that is performed in the United States after immigrant visa holders receive their visa packages from DOS and are admitted to the United States.
 Note: Applicants will now have two separate fees to pay. They are still required to pay the DOS visa application processing fee, and will now also have to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee.
 What the Fee Covers
 The immigrant fee will cover the cost of USCIS staff time to handle, file and maintain the immigrant visa package, and the cost of producing and delivering the permanent resident card.
 Who Needs to Pay the Fee
 Any individual who on or after February 1, 2013 receives an immigrant visa package from a United States consulate or embassy abroad (including Canada and Mexico) will pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee.
 Intercountry Adoptions
 The fee does not apply to those entering the United States under intercountry adoptions programs.
 Children admitted into the United States under the Orphan or Hague Adoptions Process are currently exempt from paying the USCIS Immigrant Fee; however, USCIS will consider the cost of processing immigrant visas issued by the DOS for the Orphan and Hague process the next time there is an adjustment to the fee schedule.
 When and How to Pay the Fee
 Applicants must pay this fee online through the USCIS website. Applicants should submit payments after they receive their visa package from DOS and before they depart for the United States.
 Applicants can electronically submit the fee by answering the questions on the USCIS website by providing their:
 

• checking account information, or
• debit or credit card information.

  All check payments must be drawn on a U.S. bank.
 If the applicant is unable to make this payment, another person can make this payment on the applicant’s behalf.
 Failure to Pay
 The applicant will not receive a green card until the required USCIS Immigrant fee is paid.
 Failure to pay does not affect the lawful status of the applicant. The applicant will have their passport stamped showing their lawful admission and permanent resident status. This stamp is valid for one year but it is strongly advised that new permanent residents pay the immigrant fee as soon as possible to avoid delays in receiving their Permanent Resident Card.
 

[Robertt S]

So it appears that all K-1 and K-3 cases will be paying the standard AOS fees of $ 1070 dollars and the additional  $ 165.00 new immigrant fee to obtain the green card. CR-1/IR-1 cases will only pay the $165.00 dollar new immigrant  fee for production of the green-card since they do not have to adjust status to receive the green-card initially. I am checking now, but I will go out on a limb and assume that the fee will be required for every green-card issued e.g. K-2/4 and other applicants of any visa with derivative and or dependent status.

Update:

K-1 visa holders do not have to pay the fee because they will receive greencard after adjusting status after they marry, the card production fee is included in the AOS  fee for adjusting status.

[kevster4355]

Robert,
Can I create an account on ELIS for my wife and step-son and pay the Immigration fee? The site says that only the immigrant can pay the fee.

Or, can she open the ELIS account and use my checking account or credit card info?

Thanks,
Kevin

[Robertt S]

USCIS Immigrant Fee Foreign nationals who seek permanent residence in the United States and receive an immigrant visa from the Department of State need to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online before departing for the United States.
 How to Pay the Fee
 You must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online using USCIS ELIS. You may pay for yourself and for any family members who will live with you in the United States. Attorneys, accredited representatives, and employers are not authorized to create a USCIS ELIS account on your behalf to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee. Only you, as the immigrant, may open a USCIS ELIS account and pay the required fee in order to obtain your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card).
 You will need to complete the electronic payment request and provide:
 

• Your Alien number (A-Number) and your Department of State (DOS) Case ID number.
• If you pay for your family members, you must have their A-Numbers, DOS Case ID numbers and correct biographic information.
• You also will need to provide a valid credit or debit card or, if you choose to have money taken directly from your bank account, a checking account number and the routing number for your U.S. bank.

Process for Paying Your USCIS Immigrant Fee   Receive at the U.S. Embassy   Alien number (A-Number). DOS Case ID (3 letters with 9 or 10 numbers). Sealed visa packet.   Create an online USCIS ELIS Account   Go to uscis.gov/uscis-elis. Follow directions to create an online account. Select “USCIS Immigrant Fee” and include your personal information.   Pay USCIS Immigrant Fee   Pay US$165 online. You can pay the fee for all family members in one transaction. Provide a valid credit or debit card, or U.S. bank checking account and routing numbers. Travel to USA   Arrive with Immigrant Visa Packet at Port of Entry   You are admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident.   Receive Green Card   After you are admitted to the United States, USCIS will verify payment of the USCIS Immigrant Fee and mail your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) to the address you provided to DOS at the time of your immigrant visa interview or to U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the time of your admission.    Failure to Pay  You will not receive a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) until you pay the required US$165 USCIS Immigrant Fee. Failure to pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee does not affect your lawful permanent resident status, but it does affect when USCIS will be able to issue you a Green Card. You should pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee after you receive your immigrant visa package from the Department of State and before you depart for the United States.  Exemptions  Children who enter the United States under the Orphan or Hague adoption programs, Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants, returning residents (SB-1s), and those issued K visas, are the only categories exempt from paying the fee.    What the USCIS Immigrant Fee Covers  The USCIS Immigrant Fee allows USCIS to recover the costs for processing and maintaining the immigrant visa package, and the cost of delivering and producing the Permanent Resident Card.    About the Fee  The USCIS final rule adjusting fees for immigration applications and petitions established the USCIS Immigrant Fee. The Federal Register published the final rule on Sept. 24, 2010. The rule became effective for all foreign nationals who receive an immigrant visa on or after Feb. 1, 2013. The USCIS Immigrant Fee is not related to the immigrant visa fees collected by the Department of State.  Read our tips page on how to pay your USCIS Immigrant Fee.  Burden Disclosure Notice: OMB Control Number 1615-0122.  USCIS Privacy Act Statement  Please contact the USCIS Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 if you have questions about paying the fee. Kevster,    Judging by these instructions your wife will need to create the account on ELIS, but it appears she can then use your credit/debit card to pay the fees once she opens the account. She can pay for herself and her child but will need to use an account from a U.S. bank if she uses a check.

[Robertt S]

The post above above is how they instruct people to pay the fee, but some people have found other ways to pay successfully. Some petitioners just create an account using the beneficiary's name and email address and list the beneficiary as the applicant. The system requires a number in which the first 3 places are letters followed by 9 or 10 numbers. If your wife or step-son only have 8 numbers in their A- number just insert a 0 ( zero ) in front of the first number in the A-number ; example XYZ12345678 should be entered as XYZ012345678 so that the system will accept the number. Just remember that you will need all the following information when you start pay this fee.

•   Their Alien number (A-Number) and their Department of State (DOS) Case ID Number.
• If you pay for your family members, you must have their A-Numbers, DOS Case ID numbers and correct biographic information.
• You also will need to provide a valid credit or debit card or, if you choose to have money taken directly from your bank account, a checking account number and the routing number for your U.S. bank.

  Keep a copy of your receipt for your records.
She can use your credit/debit card to pay if you want her to.


Regards, Robert