USCIS has announced via the Federal Register proposed fee increases
for some of their services, including those that impact adoptive
families. You can view the full proposed fee increases at the federal
register
here.
Specifically, the fee changes that will impact adoption are the following:
NCFA has reached out to USCIS to get further clarification on the
impact on adoption and are planning to submit comments regarding the
negative impact of these fee increases on adoptive families. Of
particular concern is the 95% fee increase for Certificate of
Citizenship.
We strongly encourage anyone with concerns about this change to provide your comments on the Federal Register by the
July 5th deadline. We also hope you’ll contact your Members of Congress and ask others in your network to advocate and express their concerns.
Ways to Respond
1.
Alert your Members of Congress (Senators and Representatives) that you are concerned about this proposed rule and ask them to respond.
Don’t know how to contact your Members of Congress: Find their info here:
www.contactingthecongress.org
2.
Alert Adoptive Families and Advocates. Ask the
adoptive families and other supporters in your community to reach out to
their Members of Congress and provide comments on the proposed rule.
3.
Provide Comments on the Proposed Rule
a.
Submit Comments online at the Federal Register. Find the
proposed rule here
and click “Comment Now” (Blue box, upper-right of screen). An
easy-to-complete form is provided. You may insert comments there or
upload an attachment
b.
Submit Comments by email.
You may email comments directly to USCIS at
uscisfrcomment@dhs.gov. Include DHS Docket No. USCIS-2016-0001 in the Subject line of your message.
c.
Mail comments. You may send comments by mail to:
Samantha Deshommes, Acting Chief
Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security
20 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20529-2020
d.
Hand Delivery/Courier. You may submit comments directy to USCIS by having them delivered to:
Samantha Deshommes, Acting Chief
Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security
20 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20529-2020
Contact Telephone: 202-272-8377
Comment Tips
1. Clearly share what you disagree with in the proposed rule and where it is located in the rule.
2. Include a clear explanation of why you disagree.
3. Make a detailed request for what you’d prefer the change to be.