When changes are proposed to regulations of certain U.S. government agencies, the public is entitled to comment on them. This is called "public comment," and the public comment process is not opened until after the notice of proposed changes is officially published.
Yesterday I informed you that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) was proposing an adjustment to the fee schedule to cover all costs of the services it provides to the public.
Today USCIS published the official notice of the proposal in the Federal Register and invited the public to submit their comments. formerly July 6, 2016. You can read a copy of the official notice of proposal by clicking here. click here.
In its proposal, USCIS wants to change the fees for naturalization application processing. Currently, the fee for that service is $595 and will go up to $640 (an increase of 8%). However, it is proposing a 46% reduction - from $595 to $320 - for people who earn between 151% and 200% of the poverty level.
How to submit public comments on the USCIS fee increase
There are several ways to submit your comments for or against the increases. You can do so on the website, by email, regular or express mail, or in person.
They will need to submit their comments in the following manner by identifying them under the docket number "DHS Docket No. USCIS-2016-0001":
Federal eRulemaking Portal (Federal eRulemaking Portal): https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions on this site for submitting comments.
Electronic mail (email)You may send comments directly to uscisfrcomment@dhs.gov. You must include "DHS Docket No. USCIS-2016-0001" in the subject line of the message (the window that says "subject").
Regular mailYou may send your comments directly to Samantha Deshommes, Acting Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20529-2020. You should include "DHS Docket No. USCIS-2016-0001" in your correspondence. This mailing address may be used for paper or CD-ROM submissions.
In person or by express mailIf you wish to express mail or deliver your comments in person, they should be addressed to Samantha Deshommes, Acting Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 20 Massachusetts Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20529-2020. The contact telephone number is (202) 272-8377.