A federal district court blocked USCIS filing fee hikes that were set to go into effect October 2, 2020, at least for the time being. The court issued a preliminary injunction that will prevent these changes from going into effect nationwide. In short, USCIS filing fees will remain unchanged for the time being.
The blocked regulation would have implemented significantly higher USCIS filing fees for several visa categories. It would have also significantly changed several USCIS forms, particularly Form I-129 “Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker” , and increased premium processing timeline . You can read more about the blocked regulation here.
The Department of Homeland Security is expected to appeal this ruling, meaning that these changes could still take effect sometime in 2020 or beyond. USCIS is expected to provide an update soon, and Legalpad is closely monitoring developments.
Worth mentioning that a change in U.S. president -- one who is much more pro immigration -- could also impact the DHS, as their policy will change dramatically.
