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That sounds about right. I married a foreigner - costs $1500 and about 6 months to process the paperwork that lets her stay. I got sticker shock when I first

That sounds about right. I married a foreigner - costs $1500 and about 6 months to process the paperwork that lets her stay. I got sticker shock when I first learned that. I've never before seen government fees that high.

emodendroket 10y ago
The wait times are way up now.
kogepathic 10y ago
> costs $1500 and about 6 months to process the paperwork that lets her stay Really not cool. Probably justify it by saying it takes a lot of time to process paperwork (that they created the requirement for in the first place...) Did you know that it also now costs $2350 for someone to renounce their US citizenship? It also takes an undefined amount of time (typically 12+ months) and they publish your name online on a State Department shame list of ex-Americans. A decade ago, it was free to renounce your US citizenship. Around 2009 they started charging $450, and then suddenly raised the fee to $2350 in 2014.
- nitrogen 10y ago
  Regarding your last paragraph, maybe something else is in the pipeline that depends on it being difficult to renounce citizenship?
- serge2k 10y ago
  Because people were renouncing to avoid the IRS, since US tax laws are completely screwed up.
  - Scoundreller 10y ago
    Painful for those not trying to avoid taxes. A drop in the bucket for those trying to avoid taxes...
- CrazyCatDog 10y ago
  Revoking citizenship is a costly exercise. It was previously subsidized by all tax-payers, now it isn't. Not that it matters to the price/cost of doing it, but what do you think are the most common reasons for forfeiting US citizenship? I suspect it's tax-evasion.
  - 2a0c40 10y ago
    Please read this: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2011/12/14/about-the-isaac-brock-society/ http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2011/12/14/about-the-isaac-brock...
    - themartorana 10y ago
      That's fucked up.
  - the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
    > what do you think are the most common reasons for forfeiting US citizenship? I suspect it's tax-evasion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidental_American https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidental_American
    - themartorana 10y ago
      Despite their lack of personal or business ties to the United States, accidental Americans have the same U.S. tax filing and payment obligations... There's a business model! Claim someone is a citizen, boom they owe taxes!
gnopgnip 10y ago
Many of the services USCIS runs are dependent on the local American Consulate. It is relatively cheap when you compare it to what a lawyer would charge for similar services. Most of the support staff could be better paid working in the private sector.

emodendroket 10y ago

The wait times are way up now.

kogepathic 10y ago

> costs $1500 and about 6 months to process the paperwork that lets her stay Really not cool. Probably justify it by saying it takes a lot of time to process paperwork (that they created the requirement for in the first place...) Did you know that it also now costs $2350 for someone to renounce their US citizenship? It also takes an undefined amount of time (typically 12+ months) and they publish your name online on a State Department shame list of ex-Americans. A decade ago, it was free to renounce your US citizenship. Around 2009 they started charging $450, and then suddenly raised the fee to $2350 in 2014.

nitrogen 10y ago
Regarding your last paragraph, maybe something else is in the pipeline that depends on it being difficult to renounce citizenship?
serge2k 10y ago
Because people were renouncing to avoid the IRS, since US tax laws are completely screwed up.
- Scoundreller 10y ago
  Painful for those not trying to avoid taxes. A drop in the bucket for those trying to avoid taxes...
CrazyCatDog 10y ago
Revoking citizenship is a costly exercise. It was previously subsidized by all tax-payers, now it isn't. Not that it matters to the price/cost of doing it, but what do you think are the most common reasons for forfeiting US citizenship? I suspect it's tax-evasion.
- 2a0c40 10y ago
  Please read this: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2011/12/14/about-the-isaac-brock-society/ http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2011/12/14/about-the-isaac-brock...
  - themartorana 10y ago
    That's fucked up.
- the_mitsuhiko 10y ago
  > what do you think are the most common reasons for forfeiting US citizenship? I suspect it's tax-evasion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidental_American https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidental_American
  - themartorana 10y ago
    Despite their lack of personal or business ties to the United States, accidental Americans have the same U.S. tax filing and payment obligations... There's a business model! Claim someone is a citizen, boom they owe taxes!

gnopgnip 10y ago

Many of the services USCIS runs are dependent on the local American Consulate. It is relatively cheap when you compare it to what a lawyer would charge for similar services. Most of the support staff could be better paid working in the private sector.