3 Powerful Tips for Requesting Fee Waivers from USCIS
While the vast majority of services offered by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are funded by the payment of the respective fees for forms and petitions from the public, the agency understands that, in some cases, the applicant may not have the means to cover the cost of these services. In this situation, you can make a Fee Waiver application.
Our Immigration Lawyer can provide you with all the guidance you need for this process, with which you can obtain an exception in the payment of the fees that apply to the process that you are going to carry out before the USCIS, so that you can make your application without any inconvenience.
If you have questions about this process, do not hesitate to schedule an appointment with our Immigration Lawyer. We will be happy to provide you with our help so you can obtain your Fee Waiver in the shortest time possible.
What is a Fee Waiver application?
A Fee Waiver application is the process that you must follow to request an exception in the payment of the form that corresponds to the procedure that you want to carry out before the USCIS, either for the application for an immigration visa to the United States, or any other that is valid by the USCIS.
After you submit your Fee Waiver application, the USCIS officials will be in charge of examining whether you meet the requirements established for the process, so you can finally obtain a response that allows you to know if your Fee Waiver was approved or rejected.
What are the requirements for the Fee Waiver application?
In order to start the Fee Waiver application process, it is important that you comply with each of the requirements demanded by the USCIS to carry out this procedure, so you can have a greater chance of receiving an affirmative response to your application.
When requesting your Fee Waiver, you must be sure that the form you are filing is eligible for a Fee Waiver (See the list available on the Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver web page).
In addition, you must also submit documentation showing that you qualify based upon one of the following criteria:
- You, your spouse, or the head of the household living with you, are currently receiving a means-tested benefit.
- The income of your household is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines at the time you file the application. Check the current Federal Poverty Guidelines for this year at Form I-912P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Fee Waiver Requests.
- You are currently experiencing financial hardship that prevents you from paying the filing fee, including unexpected medical bills or emergencies.
If your form applies for the Fee Waiver application, and you also have the documentation that demonstrates the criteria outlined above, then you can proceed with the fee waiver application at the USCIS offices.
Steps to complete the fee waiver application
To make the fee waiver application you must follow some simple steps and, if you have the appropriate documentation for any of the cases mentioned above, you can be sure that it will be smoothly approved.
You can complete the Fee Waiver application in 3 easy steps:
- Complete the latest version of Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver. If the form is not delivered, we will also accept a letter with all the necessary information that states your request for a Fee Waiver, it needs to be signed by everyone requesting the Fee Waiver, and includes all the supporting evidence.
- Sign your Fee Waiver request. Each person requesting a fee waiver must sign the fee waiver request. If you are under 14, your parent or legal guardian should sign the request for you. A legal guardian shall also sign for a person with a physical disability or mental impairment.
- Send your fee waiver request along with the petition or application for which you are requesting the fee waiver. Do not send a fee waiver request by itself.
Work with an Immigration Lawyer
Remember, if you need advice to file your fee waiver application with the USCIS, our Immigration Lawyer is at your disposal to guide you every step you must take, so you can receive your fee waiver in the shortest time possible, exempting your payment process of the corresponding fee.
Make an appointment now and work with a team of experts who will truly care about getting the best results for your application.
