15 September 2009

American visa and immigration fee increases not providing more revenue: US Government

Fee increases imposed two years ago on US citizenship applications, US visas and other US immigration services have not produced the extra revenue it was estimated the increase would provide.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services predicted the fee increase would create an extra US$1 billion for the annual budget. The agency estimated it would collect $2.33 billion in fees in the fiscal year ending 30 September, but will come up about US$282 million short of that prediction.

The budget shortfall has been blamed on an overal drop in US immigration applications, possibly due to the ongoing economic slump. Immigration applications are also expected to remain down in 2010.

President Barack Obama has said his administration would improve the US immigration system to make it cheaper and faster.

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The American Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in American visa and immigration services.