USCIS Guidance on TPS Fee Waivers

Requirements for Supporting a Fee Waiver Request When Applying for Temporary Protected Status
Fact Sheet

Introduction
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) oversees lawful immigration to the United States and is funded primarily by certain application and petition fees. Waiving a fee for certain individuals transfers the cost of processing applications and petitions to other applicants and petitioners and often necessitates increasing fees for everyone. However, we recognize that some individuals may not be able to pay the filing or biometrics fees. When you request a fee waiver, you must clearly demonstrate that you are unable to pay the fees applicable in your application or petition.

Guidance
The guidance below focuses on what should be in the written statement requesting a fee waiver:

• You must submit your waiver request in the form of a signed and dated written statement (i.e., an affidavit or an unsworn declaration that includes the statement: “I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.”).
• The request must state the reasons why you are unable to pay the filing fee.
• The written statement must list all assets, such as investments, vehicles, homes, or other real estate, if any, owned, possessed or controlled by you or your dependents.
• The written statement must identify your monthly income from all sources, including income from your dependents, for each of the three months prior to the filing of the fee waiver request.
• The written statement must identify the applicant’s monthly essential expenditures, including any extraordinary expenses (e.g., high medical bills) for each of the three months prior to the filing of the fee waiver request.
• The written statement must list your dependents in the United States, their street address and their relationship to you, and any income earned or received by your dependents.

Additional information and evidence that could be included if applicable:

• Any evidence that you are receiving a federal or state means-tested public benefit (e.g., Medicaid, food and nutrition benefits [SNAP program], housing assistance, etc.)
• Any evidence of humanitarian considerations (e.g., disability, age and homelessness)

Additional information on fee waiver requests may be found on our website at www.uscis.gov and on the “Questions and Answers: Requesting Waiver of Fees: Temporary Protected Status Applicants” document online.

Last updated:04/29/2010