WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund issued the following statement regarding the final decision by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on naturalization fees:

“The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund is pleased the USCIS listened to the community and decided not to increase the naturalization fee for the present time, stopping the exorbitant fee hikes that have placed the dream of U.S. citizenship beyond the reach of many of our nation’s newcomers. The high cost of U.S. citizenship has consistently been the single most formidable barrier to naturalization, particularly for moderate- and low-income legal permanent residents.

The USCIS also announced that the biometrics fee (fingerprints and photograph) required for the naturalization application will increase by $5, effective November 23.

Legal permanent residents pursue U.S. citizenship because they want to demonstrate their commitment to the United States and become full participants in the nation’s civic life. They make our democracy stronger and more vital, and we commend the USCIS for recognizing that naturalization is in the best interest of our entire country.

The USCIS has decided to raise the fees for applications that allow newcomers to reunite their families and obtain U.S. citizenship for their children -- increases which will place additional financial burdens on applicants. The NALEO Educational Fund looks forward to the day when all applicants pay a reasonable fee for quality immigration services. This will require a fundamental reform in how our nation finances services, and we commend the USCIS’ decision to pursue FY 2011 congressional appropriations one step toward achieving this reform.

We urge Congress and the Administration to appropriate the funds requested, and work toward the changes required to make all immigration and naturalization services accessible and affordable for our nation’s newcomers. We will continue to advocate vigorously for other remedies that address the fundamental flaws in our nation’s system of financing immigration services.”

About NALEO Educational Fund

The NALEO Educational Fund is the nation's leading non-partisan, non-profit organization that facilitates the full participation of Latinos in the American political process, from citizenship to public service.

CONTACT:

NALEO Educational Fund
Patricia Guadalupe, 202-546-2536
pguadalupe@naleo.org

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  Arizona  District of Columbia

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Public Policy/Government  Homeland Security  Public Policy  White House/Federal Government

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