jeffreyhy

Paying before the visa interview wouldn't work - the person doesn't know if they'll be able to immigrate or not until after the visa application is approved, which won't come until after the interview. In some cases long after the interveiw.

It would also be complicated, from the government's perspective, to have a USCIS fee paid to the Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Regards, JEff

fatbrit

Why do we always have to do everything in this most complicated manner in the US? Why not just simply charge the full fee when issuing the visa? I despair sometimes.

jeffreyhy

One is entering based on the visa.

Regards, JEff

jeffreyhy

I agree. It's clear to me that they mean the mysterious [name your color] envelope. Regards, JEff

Noorah101

After your explaination, JEff, I agree. It's clear now.

Rene

RICH

+1
What is the purpose of this new fee other than to raise more money or discourage immigrants. ( I know it says processing fees once stateside), but it sounds like it will cost as much to administer and enforce as it gains. sigh.

fatbrit

It's an illness. Possibly a terminal one if the POTS is anything to go by.


11 Service Fee This fee is charged in some localities to support the emergency 911 telephone service. It normallyappears on the local telephone bill.

Alaska USF (Aka: Alaska Universal Service Fund) This is charged only in Alaska as a set percentage of intrastate usage. It serves a similar purpose in the State of Alaska as the USF serves on a national basis.

Alaska Universal Service Fund See Alaska USF.

CA High Cost Fund Surcharge See High Cost Fund B.

CA Relay and Comm Surcharge See California Relay Service.

California Relay Service (Aka: CA Relay and Comm Surcharge) This surcharge appears only in the State of California, and is charged as a set percentage of your intrastate service regardless of which telephone service provider you use. It enables people with hearing and/or speech disabilities who use text telephones to communicate with people using standard voice telephones.

Carrier Line Charge See PICC.

Carrier Universal Service Charge See USF.

CHCF-A, CHCF-B See USF.

Colorado Universal Service Fund Currently 2.0% of all instate telecom services. See Colorado PUC site for details www.dora.state.ci.us

County Sales Tax Some counties charge a special telecommunications sales tax. This applies equally to all carriers serving that county.

Customer Line Charge See Federal Subscriber Line Charge.

District Tax Some districts charge a special telecommunications sales tax usually to support a school district, new construction of sports or entertainment complexes, or similar purposes. This applies equally to all carriers serving that district.

FCC Approved Customer Line Charge See Federal Subscriber Line Charge.

FCC Primary Carrier 1st Line See PICC.

FET See Federal Tax.

Federal Access Charge See Federal Subscriber Line Charge.

Federal Excise Tax See Federal Tax.

Federal Tax (Aka: FET, Federal Excise Tax) This tax appears on both your local and long distance phone bills. It is charged as a set percentage regardless of which telephone service provider you use. Little known fact is that it started as a temporary luxury tax in 1898 on telephone service to pay for the Spanish-American War. It was then phased out. A 1 cent Federal tax was then applied in 1914 on toll telephone and telegraph messages costing more than 15 cents. That was again repealed in 1916 and reinstated in 1918. It was repealed again in 1924, and reinstated again in 1932 at a rate of 7%. It then continued to rise to a high of 25% on messages costing more than 24 cents (and 15% on local service charges) in 1944. It was reduced to a flat 10% tax on toll calls and 9% on local in 1954. The rate gradually was reduced to as low as 1% in 1982. It was raised again to 3% for toll calls and 2.7% for local in 1983. For more details on this tax, you can contact the Internal Revenue Service Excise Tax Branch or take a look at the FCC Reference Book, Rates, Price Indexes and Expenditures for Telephone Service.

Federal Subscriber Line Charge (Aka: Federal Access Charge, Customer Line Charge, Interstate Access Charge, Interstate Single Line Charge, FCC Approved Customer Line Charge, Subscriber Line Charge or SLC) This federally ordered charge billed by your local telephone company pays part of the cost to the local telephone company of supplying a phone line into your home or business. It is designed to help local phone companies recover the cost of providing "local loops" which refers to outside telephone wires, underground conduit, telephone poles, and other equipment and facilities connecting you to the telephone network. This is NOT a tax. It is a charge that is part of the price you pay to your local telephone company. Neither the FCC nor any other government agency receives the Federal Subscriber Line Charge. The FCC places a maximum cap on this charge. Currently, as of July 1st, 2002, the FCC places a maximum on this charge of $6.00 for the first line and the lower of actual costs or $7.00 for non-primary lines in residences. For multi-line businesses the maximum allowed is the lower of actual costs or $9.20 per line. More information is available from the FCC.

Federal Universal Service Fund Surcharge See USF.

Frequent Flyer Excise Charge Some of the long distance companies provide you with frequent flyer miles based upon your telephone usage. These used to be entirely free. Some are now charging a fee for these miles in the form of this charge. Be sure to ask your company how much extra those "free bonus miles" will cost.

Gross Receipts Tax Surcharge See State and Local Taxes.

High Cost Fund B (Aka: CA High Cost Fund Surcharge) This is charged only in California as a set percentage of intrastate usage. It serves a similar purpose in the State of California as the USF serves on a national basis.

Interstate Access Charge See Federal Subscriber Line Charge.

Interstate Single Line Charge See Federal Subscriber Line Charge.

Interstate Tax Surcharge See State and Local Taxes.

Kansas USF (Aka: Kansas Universal Service Fund) This is charged only in Kansas as a set percentage of intrastate usage. It serves a similar purpose in the State of Kansas as the USF serves on a national basis.

Kansas Universal Service Fund See Kansas USF.

LD Line Charge See PICC.

LNP See Local Number Portability.

Local Connect Surcharge (Aka: LCS) This fee started to appear recently on certain long distance company's bills. It is NOT a mandated fee and is entirely a function of the company charging it. You should view this few as an additional monthly fee. Some companies choose to market "No monthly fee" plans yet still charge an LCS monthly fee. Don't be misled by this.

Local Number Portability (Aka: Number Portability Service Charge or LNP) This fee started to appear on many local telephone bills in February 1999. This fee allows local telephone companies to recover costs associated with supporting the technical capability to allow a consumer or business to retain their existing telephone number when switching to another local provider. Local companies are allowed, but not required, to pass on these costs. However most do. They are only allowed to charge this fee for five years from the first date they start to charge the fee, and are not allowed to start charging the fee until they can provide the ability to the end-user of retaining their phone number in the event of switching local telephone companies. Local telephone companies are required to make this "number portability" service available within 6 months of being requested to do so by another local telephone company wishing to service the area. This is NOT a tax. It is a charge that is part of the price you pay to your local telephone company. Neither the FCC nor any other government agency receives the Local Number Portability fee. Local telephone companies are not allowed to charge this fee for customers on the Lifeline Assistance Program.

Local Sales Tax Some local governments charge a special telecommunications sales tax. This applies equally to all carriers serving that locality.

Monthly Fee Some calling plans have a per month fee in addition to all of the other fees. This differs from a monthly minimum. It is a set fee regardless of how many calls you make each month.

Monthly Minimum This fee is charged by some carriers if your specific rate plan has volume requirements. This differs from a monthly fee. If, for instance, your plan requires a minimum per month and you only made of calls, you would see the remaining as a monthly minimum fee.

Monthly Recurring Charge This is a fee charged by some carriers on some rate plans to qualify you for the rate plan. For instance, when they advertise "$4.95 a month and 5 cents a minute" the $4.95 is the Monthly Recurring Charge. We incorporate this charge into all of our rate tables so you can compare the cost of plans equally.

Municipal Franchise Fee See State and Local Taxes.

Municipal Right of Way Tax on local telephone services designed to cover the cost of managing and maintaining municipal rights of way. Frequently they are charged as a flat per line fee each month, depending on the municipality. This is charged the same by each provider.

Municipal Utility Tax See State and Local Taxes.

National Access Contribution See USF.

National Access Fee See PICC.

Nebraska USF (Aka: Nebraska Universal Service Fund) This is charged only in Nebraska as a set percentage of intrastate usage. It serves a similar purpose in the State of Nebraska as the USF serves on a national basis.

Nebraska Universal Service Fund See Nebraska USF.

Network Access Charge For Interstate Calling See Federal Subscriber Line Charge

Number Portability Service Charge See Local Number Portability.

Payphone Access Fee. Under the 1996 Telecommunications Act, payphone operators must be compensated by long-distance operators for toll-free calls made through their phones. Most long distance companies pass this charge on to you on your long distance bill for calling card calls placed from a payphone or toll free calls received by you from a payphone. This is NOT a tax, and can vary from carrier to carrier. The Calling Card Rates page includes the carrier specific payphone surcharge fee in its analysis.

PICC (Aka: National Access Fee, LD Line Charge, Presubscribed Interexchange Carrier Charge, Presubscribed Line Charge, Regulatory Related Charge, FCC Primary Carrier 1st Line, or Carrier Line Charge) Pronounced "pixie." This charge started on January 1, 1998 as part of the FCC overhaul of telephone fees. Long distance companies pay a flat fee to the local telephone company when you pre-subscribe your telephone line to their long distance service. (Sometimes referred to "Dial 1" or "Plus 1" service) The charge is designed to compensate the local telephone companies for the costs associated with providing "local loop" service. If a consumer or business has not selected a long distance company for its telephone lines, the local telephone company may bill for the PICC. Although every long distance company is charged the same flat rate per line, long distance companies are allowed to recharge you for this in any way they see fit, and each company uses a different method to charge this carrier specific fee. It is normally not presented to you in such a way that you would think it is a competitive pricing issue. But it is! Some companies do not charge this fee at all, and some charge a carrier specific flat fee. We offer full details of the amazing differences in this rate on the Fees Comparison page.This is NOT a tax. Please note that on July 1, 2000 the FCC ruled that long distance companies no longer will have to pay this fee to local companies for residential lines, or single line businesses. The charge continues for multiple line businesses. Many long distance companies are still charging you for this, even though they aren't paying it anymore!

Presubscribed Interexchange Carrier Charge See PICC.

Presubscribed Line Charge See PICC.

Property Tax Recovery Fee This is a carrier specific charge only charged by certain carriers. It is not a tax. You should view it as an addition to whatever rates the carrier quotes to you.

PSC Fee Some states add a surcharge to fund their Public Service Commission. This charge applies equally to all carriers.

PUC Fee Some states add a surcharge to fund their Public Utility Commission. This charge applies equally to all carriers.

Regulatory Related Charge See PICC.

Single Bill Fee If you are billed for both local and long distance service on one phone bill, you may soon be charged a fee by your long distance provider for this convenience.

State Additional Charges See State and Local Taxes.

State Deaf and Disabled Fund Some states charge a tax to help provide access to telephone and teletype services for deaf and disabled people. This charge applies to all carriers serving the state equally.

State and Local Municipal Taxes (Aka: Gross Receipts Tax Surcharge, State Additional Charges, Interstate Tax Surcharge, State Universal Service Fund, State Infrastructure Maintenance Fee, Municipal Utility Tax, Municipal Franchise Fee) State and local governments assess various taxes in different ways and at different rates. Proceeds go to the local governing body. It can be imposed on the revenues of local telephone companies, and long-distance companies operating within a state. Although these taxes vary by your location, they are the same for all providers serving that area. For more information about these taxes, please contact your local and state tax offices. You can find their number in the government section of your local telephone directory.

State Infrastructure Maintenance Fee See State and Local Taxes.

State Universal Service Fund See State and Local Taxes.

Subscriber Line Charge See Federal Subscriber Line Charge.

SLC See Federal Subscriber Line Charge.

Telephone Relay Charge Subsidized disabled access to the telephone system via special equipment and PC's. This is charged by all carriers equally.

Texas Inf Fd See Texas Infrastructure Fund.

Texas Infrastructure Fund (Aka: Texas Inf Fd) This is charged only in Texas as a set percentage of intrastate usage. It serves a similar purpose in the State of Texas as the USF serves on a national basis. It is in addition to the Texas Universal Service Fund.

Texas Poison Control Surcharge Pays for the Texas Poison Control Network - 6 centers that are available 24 hours a day to provide information on poison remedies. You can reach the center at 1-800-POISON1. This is charged at .03 percent of the intrastate long distance charges.

Texas Universal Service See Texas Universal Service Fund.

Texas Universal Service Fund (Aka: Texas Universal Service) This is charged only in Texas as a set percentage of intrastate, international, and interstate usage that meets 2 of 3 conditions (originates in Texas, terminates in Texas, billed to an address in Texas). It serves a similar purpose in the State of Texas as the USF serves on a national basis. It is in addition to the Texas Infrastructure Fund.

Universal Connectivity Charge See USF.

Universal Service Charge See USF.

Universal Service Fund Charge See USF.

USF (Aka: Universal Service Fund Charge or Universal Service Charge, Carrier Universal Service Charge, Federal Universal Service Fund Surcharge) This charge started on January 1, 1998 as part of the FCC overhaul of telephone fees. All companies that provide telephone service between states pay a set percentage of their previous year's billings. The charge is designed to ensure affordable access to telecommunications services for telephone customers with low incomes, telephone customers who live in areas where the cost of providing telephone service is extremely high, libraries, schools, and rural health care providers. Although all companies providing interstate telephone service are charged the same percentage of their billings, companies are allowed to recharge you for this in any way they see fit, and each company uses a different method to charge this carrier specific fee. It is normally not presented to you in such a way that you would think it is a competitive pricing issue. But it is! Some companies do not charge this fee at all, some charge a carrier specific flat fee, others charge a percentage of your interstate and international usage, while others charge a percentage of your entire bill. We offer full details of the amazing differences in this rate on the Fees Comparison page. Although the charge the companies pay is in essence a tax, the fee on your bill is carrier specific, and is NOT a set tax. The telephone company keeps any difference between the USF fees they collect and the charge they pay to the Universal Service Fund.

Utah USF (Aka: Utah Universal Service Fund) This is charged only in Utah as a set percentage of intrastate usage. It serves a similar purpose in the State of Utah as the USF serves on a national basis.

Utah Universal Service Fund See Utah USF.

Wyoming USF (Aka: Wyoming Universal Service Fund) This is charged only in Wyoming as a set percentage of intrastate usage. It serves a similar purpose in the State of Wyoming as the USF serves on a national basis.

Wyoming Universal Service Fund See Wyoming USF.

Source: http://www.abtolls.com/information/readingbills.html

jeffreyhy

By law, the immigration services are self-funding - the services are paid for by the people who use them, not by the US taxpayer. You can argue the appropriateness of that if you wish, but as a US tax payer whose spouse is an immigrant I think it's reasonable. Under the previous system, where did USCIS recoup the cost of providing the initial green card to a new immigrant?

Given what it costs already to go through the immigration process, another $165 isn't going to stop many people. And if new immigrants shouldn't be the people to pay the cost of providing their first green card, who should pay for their green cards?

Regards, JEff

fatbrit

So the current cost of the visa is $X. They need to increase it by $Y to pay for the stateside processing. X+Y=Z

So, nice and simple, cost of IV = $Z

Not fees:
Visa processing: $A
Consular coffee fund: $B
Universal deportation fund: $C
.
.
.
.
.
Post-processing silly name fee: $Z
Card printing fee: $AA
etc, etc on ad infinitum.

The first method is simple and easy. The second is just bloody stupid.

RICH

OK, but the point is, it would (it seems to me) be more efficient to say it costs $xxx to immigrate.

This new fee smacks of airline strategy of baggage fees & other add-ons.

Do they plan to add this fee to K1's and others at AOS when their first Green card is due? Why not build it into the initial price, rather than create a new fee which is essentially not "optional".

edit: and what Fatbrit just said.

jeffreyhy

In the past it was essentially built into the "initial price", if the cost of operating USCIS was paid for by the fees charged by USCIS as it notionally was. So the cost of initial green cards was paid for by those who started the process but some of who never did become a Permanent Resident, whether by choice or because they were found to be inadmissible. Is it not more 'fair' for the cost of a green card to be paid by only those who actually get a green card?

All of the fees for immigration are optional - one pays them only if they want to immigrate. Don't want to pay? Don't immigrate. Or emigrate, depending in which direction you want to look at it from. :-)

Regards, JEff

civilservant

So when I receive my envelope ill have another $165 free to pay? Thanks USCIS,.,.

RICH

I think I saw that it is effective next year, so you might be in the clear. However, no doubt you will pay if required.

My point to JEff is, One transaction/One fee. If you immigrate and for some reason do not pick up your GC, it is your loss, you already paid for it.

New system implies USG will process you through, but not issue the card till you pay.

civilservant

There's little prospect of getting through the entire process before 1st Feb- so yep, I'll be paying.

MrsWaring

Hmmmm, this is quite interesting..

My husband received his brown envelope in Oct but is not flying to the States until 14 Feb.

So how does this work??? He didn't receive a package with his brown envelope in Oct stating he needed to pay another fee, but yet he will be arriving in USA after the 1st of Feb. Does this mean he won't get his greencard until we somehow figure out how to pay this additional fee without any paperwork??

(I know noone knows these answers yet, just voicing my thoughts lol)