News / Law
Deferred Action for Young immigrants Could Cost $585M
The government estimates that there 890,000 young undocumented immigrants in the country and the cost of processing temporary work visas for applicants could cost up to $585 million.
According to internal documents obtained by the Associated Press, the Department of Homeland Security will begin accepting applications for work visas starting on August 15th. And the cost of processing these applications could cost the government $585 million, an estimate that anti-immigration activists and Republicans have been quick to pounce on.
The overwhelming majority of the applicants will cover the costs of processing these applications when they pay the $465 filing fee. Applicants could also face additional costs, which they will have to cover, when they employ an immigration attorney to help through the application process.
The internal documents also stated that there would be no waivers issued for the application fee, but Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told Congress last week that the government would grant some waivers “in deserving cases,” which could leave a shortfall of over a $100 million.
A spokesman for the DHS, Matthew Chandler said, “Preliminary documents should not be confused with final operational decisions, and any cost estimates do not reflect final decisions of the department or actual volume of requests. As the administration has repeatedly made clear, USCIS is a fee-based agency and the adjudication of deferred action application request will not use taxpayer dollars.”
Secretary Napolitano said information about the program will be released August 1st. The young people who plan to apply for a work or student visa will benefit from the representation of an immigration lawyer to help them with the application process
Because immigration attorneys understand the language of official forms, their assistance can prevent errors on applications, which can delay processing.
