Posted on 09/27/2005 10:56:33 PM PDT by Prince Charles
Citizenship to get more expensive
IMMIGRATION Application fees going up late next month
BY KEVIN ROYKO, MEDILL NEWS SERVICE
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Wednesday, September 28, 2005 12:40 AM CDT
Achieving the American Dream for immigrants in the Chicago area is about to become a little costlier.
And advocacy groups which provide legal and social services to Chicago-based immigrant communities say their clients can little afford such monetary roadblocks as they work to become citizens.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, announced Monday that application fees for immigration benefits would increase an average of $10 per application, effective Oct. 26.
Immigrant advocates say even such a seemingly small hike can make a difference for people who often struggle to pay for necessities like rent, groceries and medical treatment.
"Ten dollars can really make a difference," said Angelica Rivera, of the Chicago-based Coalition of African, Asian, European and Latino Immigrants of Illinois. "A lot of the people we serve don't have high salaries, and I think it's going to be challenging for many of them."
"It is very concerning," added Gilberto Dominguez, 34, an immigrant from El Salvador who lives in the suburb of Gilberts.
Dominguez, who is married, works as a cook and is in the process of applying for citizenship.
"It all adds up, and between family and school costs, it is hard to come up with $400 or more to apply for citizenship," he said.
Immigration officials say the fee increase is due to inflation, and the added revenue will be used to fund the costs of immigration benefits, including asylum and refugee admission, which is provided free to those applying for such status.
"We're a fee-based agency," said Marilu Cabrera, a Chicago spokeswoman for the Citizenship and Immigration Service. "Tax dollars do not go toward making people citizens and, unfortunately, we have to increase our fees in order to recover the cost of the process and make sure the system is working well."
But Fred Tsao, policy director for the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said he sees inherent problems with the fee increases and questions whether the government is improving service as fees continue to rise.
"Fee increases always cause mass confusion among the immigrant community," he said. "As a result, people often file with the wrong amount of money and their applications get bounced."
Tsao also takes issue with how he believes the fee increases have become automatic.
"As of last year, these fee increases are no longer subject to public comment," he said. "They've just been put on autopilot, and we haven't seen a corresponding improvement in the handling of applications and customer service."
The cost of applying for citizenship is $320. In 1994, the fee was $95, and it rose to $225 in 1998 and $260 in 2002. With the latest increase, the fee will rise to about $330, according to Cabrera.
/sarc
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Those that stupid should not apply.
Remember - only the legal immigrants have to pay. The illegals get in for free.
If you don't consider what most illegals pay to "coyotes". The guys who take the life savings of those they smuggle in because we Americans are too lazy to do it.
Many countries require proof of substantial financial assets, for admittance as a legal immigrant or even resident; Canada and Australia being examples.
Why? To insure people don't enter that will certainly be relying on government programs right off the bat.
The US doesn't do that, to my knowledge.
(In 1980 I went to Cargary on a 3 day bisiness trip, and got pulled into a room and grilled by Canadian authorities. I was stunned, because I had traveled freely around Europe just a few years before.
My Canadian associates told me it was over concern I was sneaking in under false business trip auspices, to steal a job from Canadians.
At that time, Alberta was in an energy related boom, over oil shale development, following the Iran hostage crisis, and subsequent oil scare in the US.)
ping
Suggest lowering the fees by confiscating property of illegals, taxing their remittances or fining them and watch her go ballistic.
It is not just the fees. There is travel time and other expences that can result from a ten hour or more round trip for each instance of "needing" to be at a particular office. And it involves more than just the applicant.
Why? To insure people don't enter that will certainly be relying on government programs right off the bat.
The US doesn't do that, to my knowledge."
The sponsor does.
Here is a good place to seek some truth about the process.
They are complaining about a $10 increase! My wife and I are in teh process of immigrating legally to the U.S. The legal and application fees are being covered by my employer at 50%. That leaves me with $2500.00 to pay. It's not cheap, but worth every penny. It's a small price to pay to live in the U.S.
Protect our borders and coastlines from all foreign invaders!
Support our Minutemen Patriots!
Be Ever Vigilant ~ Bump!
I have sponsored a legal immigrant(non-spouse), and if more people knew what the truth is regarding the way the system works you bet they'd be up in arms.
I don't know why anyone is bothering to go through the official procedure. Just live here and wait for the next amnesty.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.