Fees & Costs Updated: Family-Based Green Cards

I published a post almost a year ago regarding family-based green card fees and costs in the CNMI. A few things have happened since then, and so I’ve decided to slightly update the numbers.

GREEN CARD FEES & COSTS
Form		Required with Form	Fee/Cost
I-130	Petition for Alien Relative	• Evidence of relationship (e.g., marriage certificate, joint account information, etc.) • If previously married, evidence of termination of marriage • 1 passport photo • G-325A biographical info	$355
I-485	Adjustment to Permanent Status Application	• G-325A biographical info • Copy of passport • Copy of CNMI immigration permit • Birth certificate • 2 passport photos • Police clearance or, if criminal history, provide evidence • I-693 Medical report • fingerprinting fee	$930 $80
I-864	Affidavit of Support for Immediate Relative	• Most recent tax filing (w/ W2 form)	--
Total USCIS Fees			$1,365
Costs
Medical exam for I-693 report		Estimate only. Prices range based on what tests are needed for the applicant.	$600
Attorney		Estimate only. Fees vary.	$1,000
Total Est. Costs			$1,600
GRANT TOTAL (USCIS FEES & COSTS)			$2,965

A major change is the removal of airfare (for two) to Guam. Family-based green card applicants can now have their interviews conducted in Saipan at the recently-opened Application Support Center in the TSL Plaza, Beach Road in Garapan. USCIS has already scheduled numerous appointments, and I have already attended two green card interviews for my clients.

More attorneys are gearing up for the increase in immigration clients. See the previous post on the recent immigration workshop. While I kept the estimated attorney fees the same at $1,000, there seems to be a wider range of prices, and those too seem to be constantly changing.

I have heard medical exam fees decreasing a bit, which is why I lowered the estimated costs. You can run a search of authorized health care providers on the USCIS website here, by zip code. Here is the current list that is generated when typing 96950 for the CNMI:

Dr. Ahmad Al-Alou, Pacific Medical Center P.O. Box 501908 CK, Saipan, MP 96950 (670) 233-8100

Dr. Anthony R. Stearns, Marianas Medical Center PO Box 506 CHRB, Saipan, MP 96950 (670) 234-3925

Dr. Christine Brown, Island Medical Center P.O. Box 504669, Saipan, MP 96950 (670) 235-8880

Dr. Richard Brostrom, Commonwealth Health Center P.O. Box 409 CK, Saipan, MP 96950 (670) 234-8950

Dr. Tiffany L. Willis, Marianas Medical Center P.O. Box 5006, CHRB, Saipan, MP 96950 (670) 234-3925

Top image entitled “Liberty for immigrants' rights” by philocrites and published under an Attribution NonCommercial Creative Commons license.

Family-Based Immigration Workshop

Karidat and MLSC co-sponsored a two-day workshop May 5 and May 6, 2009 about US immigration, focusing on "family-based" issues.

Lauri Ogumoro of Karidat, and Juanette Sablan and Polly Anne Sablan of MLSC man the registration table.

Evangeline Abriel from Santa Clara University School of Law and Peggy Gleason from the Catholic Legal Immigration Network presented detailed information on US immigration law about immigrant and non-immigrant admissions for immediate relatives and other other family members, including immediate relative petitions, petitions under the preference/quota system, self-petitioning for victims of domestic violence, and visa procedures for victims of crime and human trafficking.

Peggy Gleason and Evangeline Abriel.

The workshop, hosted at PIC's Napu Room, included an e-file of information and a hard-copy folder with sample problems and a copy of the power point presentation.

Approximately 70 people attended, including attorneys, social workers, legislators, law enforcement officers, and interested members from the business and professional community.

On Tuesday, David Gulick from DHS also gave a short presentation specifically related to federalization of the CNMI's immigration.

David Gulick, DHS

The Marianas Variety gave two reports on the training--one referencing the promise of DHS to promulgate two regulations under the CNRA related to federalizing CNMI's immigration, and one focusing more on the impact of change on families in the CNMI.

The level of attendance at the conference, the diversity of the participants, and the press coverage are all good indicators that there is great interest about the up-coming transition to federal immigration here.

Attorneys Rob Torres and Mark Hanson goof off.

Applying for a Family-Based Green Card in the CNMI: Fees, Costs, Time

Family-Based Green Cards in the CNMI
Generally, aliens can be present in the US with either non-immigrant (temporary) status or a green card (permanent resident status). Permanent residency is primarily obtained through a family member or employment. Many aliens in the CNMI have gotten their green card through a sponsoring immediate relative, like a U.S. citizen spouse. This is because the Covenant, despite broadly excluding the CNMI from federal immigration law, has always recognized the CNMI to be a part of the US when considering aliens who are immediate relatives of US citizens living here. With the enactment of Public Law 110-229 on May 8, 2008, the Covenant will be amended to recognize the CNMI as part of the US for all immigration purposes. As mentioned in our previous post, this will have a direct impact on a variety of aliens who do not have federal immigration status, including those with CNMI IR status but who do not have green cards.

This post covers some of the practical issues with applying for a family-based green card. For an overview of the process and eligibility requirements, go to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) webpage here.

Fees & Costs
USCIS fees associated with a green card application can be quite expensive. In July 2007, the USCIS revised its fee schedule, which resulted in many filing fees doubling and even tripling. USCIS does allow for some fee waivers based on an inability to pay. However, proving an inability to pay might run you the risk of being denied admissibility based on being considered a public charge, which means being dependent on public benefits like Medicaid or food stamps. Being a public charge is one ground for a green card denial.

Besides the USCIS fees, there are at least two substantial costs: the medical exam and the airfare to Guam for the green card interview. An I-693 medical report form needs to be completed by an authorized health care provider. The examination required for this report is different from the check-up for the CNMI work permit. There are at least two authorized health care providers for the I-693 medical exam in the CNMI: Pacific Medical Center and Marianas Medical Center. Both are located in Saipan. Contact the health provider directly to verify the current fee range.

Another cost may be for an attorney if you choose to have one assist you with the process.

The following table breaks down what might come out of your pocket for a green card:

Processing Time
It can take several months or up to a year to process a green card application. You can track general processing times for each USCIS center/office on the USCIS website here. The time it takes depends in large part on the backload of applications at any given USCIS center/office, and whether there are any special issues presented by an applicant’s situation. Before, the average range of time to process a green card was 6-8 months. USCIS is now saying to expect a much longer time frame. This is because of the surge in applications that were submitted last year to avoid the scheduled fee increases.

It usually has taken a month or so to receive the USCIS notice of receipt of the initial application package. If there are no initial problems with the application, USCIS next schedules a green card interview in Guam. This may happen around 2-3 months later. Again, this could take longer now due to an unusually large backload of applications. You and your sponsor will need to attend the interview together. USCIS does not cover the airfare to Guam. After the interview, USCIS may have additional requests for evidence. If an approval is granted, you will receive a notice and your permanent resident card by mail.



Top image entitled “Liberty for immigrants' rights” by philocrites . Middle image entitled “Got this in the mail today” by lacylouwho . Bottom image entitled “Permanent resident card” by nh7a . Top and middle images published under an Attribution NonCommercial Creative Commons license. Bottom image published under an Attribution NonCommercial Share Alike Creative Commons license.