Sign on letter to lower the naturalization fee

The National Partnership for New Americans is circulating the following letter to Director Mayorkas urging him to lower the naturalization fee:

Dear U.S.C.I.S. Director Alejandro Mayorkas, As you review the naturalization fee structure, the undersigned organizations urge you to make the path to citizenship affordable for hard working immigrants. The current fee structure prices out the working poor and keeps the dream of becoming a citizen out of reach for millions of eligible legal permanent residents.

The citizenship fee has nearly tripled from $225 in 1999 to $680 in 2008. As outlined in the report, Nurturing Naturalization, as fees have risen between 1999 and 2008, there has been a 50 percent reduction of those with less than a high school diploma naturalizing, over half that reduction happening after the 2007 price increase. Over the same period of time, there has been a 40% reduction of Mexican immigrants becoming citizens, over half that reduction occurred after the 2007 fee increase.

High naturalization fees should not keep future Americans from attaining their dream of becoming full participants in our democracy. As a nation of immigrants, we value and welcome immigrants who want to become American citizens, not only because it is the right thing to do but also because it is good for our country and our economy. The fee structure should reward those willing to make the effort to learn English, to study our nation's history and democratic system of government, and to become full participants in our nation, with the right to vote and to take part in civic life.

Sincerely,

(You?)

If you'd like to sign on to this letter, go to https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dDZZOHRRRHhubFF5TzVyTndSaGZnZEE6MQ and fill in your name and city. Please pass it on to friends and colleagues, too.

 

Posted: to Citizenship News on Mon, Apr 8, 2013
Updated: Mon, Apr 8, 2013