USCIS Introduces First-Ever Fee Waiver Form

For the first time, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced a standardized form for requesting waivers of the fees charged for immigration benefit processing. Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, became available for use on November 23, 2010, the same day USCIS’s latest fee schedule took effect.

USCIS said it heard concerns expressed in stakeholder meetings that the absence of a standardized form led to confusion about the criteria and standards used to approve waivers. The new form states requirements for documenting a fee waiver request and gives information on the methodology USCIS uses to evaluate the requests. For example, if an applicant can show that he or she is receiving a means-tested benefit and presents evidence to document that claim, the applicant is not required to submit further evidence. USCIS said it will use the same methodology in reviewing all fee waiver requests, whether submitted on the new I-912 or in a written statement generated by the applicant.