Beginning now, the U.S. government has introduced a new annual fee of $100 for pending asylum cases. This means:
· If your asylum case remains pending for one year or more, you will now be required to pay $100 each year until your case concludes.
· The government will issue individual notices in each case the first time the fee is due.
· Payment of the fee is due 30 days after the notice is issued.
· For cases pending before USCIS, the government has created a page where you can pay the fee: https://my.uscis.gov/accounts/annual-asylum-fee/start/overview. You will need your alien number (“A number”) and application receipt number.
· For cases pending before the Immigration Court, the government has not yet created a way to pay the annual fee.
· The fee must be paid every year that a case is pending. If the fee is not paid, the government may decide you have abandoned your case and close or deny it.
· The annual fee is separate from the $100 fee that must be paid for new asylum applications.