McClatchy: Immigration service fees skyrocket

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http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/17295183.htm

Immigration service fees skyrocket
By Lesley Clark
McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON - Starting July 30, immigrants applying for citizenship, green cards and other services will pay nearly twice as much as they do now under a plan officials promised will transform the nation's chief immigration agency into a more efficient operation.

The new fees for citizenship and immigration services - which will double the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' $1.25 billion budget - are aimed at speeding up the processing of paperwork. But critics suggested the substantial hikes could put the squeeze on immigrants.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Emilio Gonzales, though, said the fee-dependent agency needs the cash infusion to improve services. He promised "substantial reductions" in the time it takes the agency to process an application. He said the fee increases also would allow the agency to move from a paper-based system to an electronic system.

"This is what it takes not just to keep us afloat, but moving forward," Gonzalez said in a conference call with reporters. "I understand anytime there's an increase there's concern. The big difference here is what people will see with the price increase: a much improved agency that will do what it says it will do, an increase in efficiency and an increase in productivity. That's something we're going to stand by and we need the funds to accomplish."

Nearly every immigration or naturalization fee would be raised, and some of the increases would be substantial, according to figures supplied by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services:

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