The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced changes to payment methods for applications or petitions, to allow direct debit payments, but will no longer accept checks or postal orders.
The federal agency reported that interested parties will be able to make direct transfers from a U.S. bank account, with the aim of reducing the time and staff required to process checks and money orders, as well as reducing the risks of fraud, loss of payments, and theft, as indicated in a statement.
More than 90 percent of our payments come in the form of checks and money orders, and cause delays in processing, a USCIS spokesman said in the announcement.
The statement also warns that the petitioners must ensure that their accounts have sufficient funds to cover all filing fees, and that the USCIS could reject any request or request if the transaction is denied.
In this regard, immigration lawyer Daniel Stephen Larson, who works in San Francisco, considered that the change could move the proceedings faster, but stressed that the transition could affect older clients and those who do not have bank accounts in the country more. Many of them are used to writing checks, may not feel comfortable with technology, or may not have a bank account. They will have to adapt to the use of Prepaid Transactions or Credit Cards, he said in a post on the LinkedIn platform.
Those who do not have an account in the country and want to use a credit card must also use the G-1450 form, which provides more payment options for the required rates. However, either by debit or credit, they must ensure that the account or card has sufficient funds to prevent the procedure from being rejected.
Emily Sumner, an immigration lawyer who serves in Richmond, Virginia, commented in a publication that she is totally in favor of modernization, but pointed out that since some procedures cannot be presented digitally, it will require the provision of sensitive information on paper forms, which she considered a nightmare in terms of security and compliance.
USCIS reported that it will continue to accept payments in checks and turns until October 28.
The agency said the measure is in line with a decree signed in March by President Donald Trump, which promotes a transition to digital payments, although the order also marks exceptions that are not foreseen by USCIS.
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