There are many different requirements connected to making a petition for things like a visa, green card or citizenship here in America. This includes qualification requirements related to the specific type of immigration-related request one is making. It also includes things like paperwork requirements and fees.
Recently, some wide-ranging changes regarding requirements of the latter sort have been made by the federal government.
For one, the fees for many immigration-related petitions here in the U.S. changed last month.
These fee changes in turn have led to some form changes. The federal government recently issued new versions of the forms for the types of petitions the fee changes apply to. The updated forms reflect the new fees.
Can the prior version of the forms still be used for such petitions? Well, for most of the types of petitions given updated forms, the answer is yes, at least for around the next month.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, while using the updated forms is strongly encouraged, it reportedly will not be required, for most forms, until Feb. 21, 2017 (paying at the new fee level is required whether the new or old version of the form is used).
A significant exception to this is the form used for applying for naturalization. This is Form N-400. When it comes to this form, the updated version has already been deemed mandatory; the older version of the form will not be accepted.
When submitting a petition in relation to an immigration or naturalization matter, it can be incredibly important for a person to understand what specific requirements, including paperwork and fees, are associated with the petition. Incorrect assumptions about such requirements could lead to a person making mistakes in connection to their petition that could impede or harm their overall immigration goals. Immigration lawyers can help answer questions individuals have about an immigration matter that has come up for them, including questions regarding what sort of requirements are present when it comes to submitting a petition in connection to the matter.
Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “Previous Editions of Forms Accepted Until Feb. 21, 2017, but Must Include New Fees,” Dec. 29, 2016
