You might not have to pay the USCIS application fees for Citizenship and Green Card Renewals
What is a fee waiver and do I qualify?
What is a USCIS fee waiver? How can I participate today?
Did you know that the U.S. government, specifically the USCIS, offers a 100% immigration application fee waiver program (up to $725) for those that qualify? That is right…if you qualify, you could be eligible to file your application with USCIS and have 100% of the USCIS filing fees waived.
Why haven’t I heard of a Fee Waiver before?
If you are like most immigration applicants, you had no idea this program even existed or thought it might simply be “out of reach”. Today, USCIS doesn’t promote or publicize this program outwardly. The less filing fees you pay, the less revenue the USCIS gets to collect toward their own program funding. In fact, finding information about fee waivers isn’t as easy or obvious as one would hope. There are forms to review and some general articles available online, but they are usually outdated and leave a lot of questions unanswered. Most people get frustrated and simply give up because they think the process will be difficult or that they may do a bunch of paperwork to ultimately find out that they do NOT qualify after all. This process seems more complicated than it is…so we came up with a better way to check your eligibility for a USCIS fee waiver online, for free, and in under 60 seconds.
What can I do right now to check my fee waiver eligibility?
Today, the government simply does not make it easy for an applicant to check their eligibility in real-time to see if they, or a family member, qualify for these amazing but elusive benefits. Keep reading, we have created an easy way to check your eligibility for a 100% (or even a partial) fee waiver based on easy information you already have on hand.
Check My 2018 Fee Waiver Eligibility
Are all immigration applications fee waiver eligible?
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service only waives fees for certain immigration applications. Luckily, many popular applications offered by Road to Status like Citizenship (Form N-400) and Green Card Renewals (Form I-90) are eligible and you can get started today. You can see the other eligible applications offered by Road to Status here. This means that you could potentially save hundreds of dollars (up to $725.00 for Citizenship) on your immigration application filing with USCIS. Unfortunately, fee waivers are not available for the DACA renewal Form I-821D (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) application at this time. For more information about renewing your DACA, please click here to check your eligibility to renew your expiring or expired DACA today.
How do I qualify? What criteria makes me eligible for a fee waiver?
The USCIS offers a fee waiver program and reduced fee option on certain applications to applicants that meet certain income and social assistance program requirements.
When applying for a USCIS fee waiver, you will need to provide follow up documentation that shows, without a doubt, that you are in one or more of three categories below.
- You are currently receiving a means-tested (social assistance) benefit
If you, your spouse, or the head of household living with you, are currently receiving a means-tested benefit, you may be eligible to apply for a fee waiver. You can check your eligibility for a fee waiver using our easy to use online tools here as well.
Examples of means-tested benefit (social assistance) programs include:
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called Food Stamps)
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Other less common examples can be found here (link)
The following are NOT considered means-tested benefits:
- Medicare
- Unemployment benefits
- Social Security retirement benefits
- Social Security Disability insurance (SSDI)
- Social Security Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI)
- Student financial aid
- Your household income is 150% percent or less of current Federal Poverty guidelines
You may also be eligible for a fee waiver if your household income is at or below 150% percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines at the time you file. Not sure if you meet these income requirements? The Road to Status fee waiver eligibility tool can help you determine your options by asking easy-to-understand questions about your current situation. Try it for free here.
- You are currently experiencing a financial hardship (read this section carefully)
A financial hardship that prevents you from paying the USCIS filing fee, including unexpected medical bills or emergencies, can also qualify you for a fee waiver. Using a financial hardship can be a bit more subjective and harder to provide tangible evidence for; however, if you already qualify for a fee waiver based on the criteria presented in #1 and/or #2 above, you may not need to qualify based on a financial hardship. The best way to learn about your fee waiver options is to get started here. You can also learn more by visiting our fee waiver resource page
Still have questions? Visit our comprehensive fee waiver FAQ in our free resource center here.
If you would like to see if you can save hundreds of dollars on your USCIS application fees and complete your application faster than ever with the help of Road to Status software tools, create a free account here and get started today.
Road to Status – The fastest, easiest way to complete your immigration application online.
If you would like to consult with a licensed attorney either before or after you fill out your application, you can be connected with an attorney who is an immigration specialist quickly and affordably through our Road to Status platform.
Road to Status everything you need to confidently & easily complete your application is here, all at a low, affordable cost.
Once you have created your free Road to Status account, you will be asked a series of simple questions to help you get started. When you finish your application, you can easily edit and review your application documents (and have them reviewed by a professional immigration attorney if you so desire).
Once you are completely satisfied & confident in your application, you can check out to download your application package to print and mail to USCIS.
If you have any questions about us before starting an application, please email us at info@roadtostatus.com or call us at (857) 600-0972.
