New Info on

I attended a USCIS teleconference yesterday and got some information about the new partial fee waiver ("Request for a reduced fee") form: I-942. 

  • the form will be available on the USCIS website starting 12/21, and can be submitted anytime after 12/23 (but you can see a draft of it here)
  • this form is entirely different from the one used for requesting a full fee waiver (I-912)
  • the form will be reviewed by USCIS employees (not contract workers) who are experienced with the processing of fee waiver requests already
  • unlike the full fee waiver form (I-912) this new partial waiver request can only be used for citizenship applications
  • form I-942 is to be submitted with the N-400 along with payment of the reduced fee amount, which is $405; if the payment is not included, the whole application will be returned
  • payment can be made by check, money order, or credit card (for credit card payments, you'll need to download form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions)
  • if the applicant is over 75 years old, the reduced fee is only $320 (this is because the biometrics fee is waived for elderly applicants)
  • if the reduced fee request is not approved, USCIS will send the whole application and fee back with an explanation; at that point, the applicant can resubmit the application with the full fee, or resubmit with additional information to support the reduced fee request
  • USCIS predicts that these requests will delay processing by about five days; if the applicant hasn't gotten a response within 30 days, they can contact: lockboxsupport@uscis.dhs.gov for help
  • income guidelines to tell applicants whether they qualify for the reduced fee can be found on form I-942P which will be online after 12/21
  • eligibility is based on GROSS income (or if you're using a tax return, AGI: "adjusted gross income")
  • helpful information on filing reduced fee requests will soon be online; it will include information on how to determine household size and which documents can be used to prove eligibility; it will likely look like the information now online for those who are requesting full fee waivers:  https://www.uscis.gov/feewaiver