The Honorable Ur M. Jaddou, Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (June 8, 2023)

Summary

The House Committee on Small Business writes to Director Ur M. Jaddou of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to inquire about a recent rule proposal to change certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees. The letter says the rule would increase immigration and naturalization fees for business visas and, as outlined by the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, pass substantial fee increases onto small entities along with a $600 per person fee to subsidize the U.S. asylum program. It says it appears USCIS may not have properly considered small entities. The Committee requests information no later than June 22, 2023, including how many small businesses will be impacted and what alternatives have been considered.

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Full text

                                                 June 8, 2023

The Honorable Ur M. Jaddou
Director
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
5900 Capital Gateway Drive
Camp Springs, MD 20746

Dear Director Jaddou,

        The House Committee on Small Business (the Committee) writes to inquire about the
recent rule proposal to change certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees
charged by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 1 This rule would increase
immigration and naturalization fees for business visas and—as outlined by the Small Business
Administration Office of Advocacy—the rule would pass substantial increases in fees onto small
entities, along with a $600 per person fee to subsidize the U.S. asylum program.2 It appears that
the USCIS may not have properly considered small entities during this rulemaking process.

       It is important for agencies to properly consider small businesses interests, which make
up 99.9 percent of all businesses in the United States, when passing any new rule. America’s
small businesses deserve to have their voices heard and considered. We therefore request the
following information as soon as possible but no later than June 22, 2023:

    1. What are your statutory requirements to examine this rule’s impact on small businesses?

    2. How many small businesses will be impacted by this rule?

    3. What additional compliance costs on small businesses are associated with this new rule?

    4. Where can small businesses go to examine your analysis on the impacts this rule will
       have on their operations?

    5. What alternatives have been considered to lessen the impacts on small businesses?

1
  U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit
Request Requirements, 88 Fed. Reg. 402 (Jan. 4, 2023).
2
  Letter from Major L. Clark, III, Deputy Chief Counsel & Janis C. Reyes, Assistant Chief Counsel, U.S. Small Bus.
Admin. Office of Advocacy, to Ur M. Jaddou, Director & Carol Cribbs, Deputy Chief Fin. Officer, U.S. Citizenship
& Immigration Serv., U.S. Dep’t of Homeland Sec. (Mar. 10, 2023).
The Honorable Ur M. Jaddou
June 8, 2023
Page 2 of 2


       To schedule the delivery of your response or ask any related follow-up questions, please
contact Committee on Small Business Majority Staff at (202) 225-5821. The Committee on
Small Business has broad authority to investigate “problems of all types of small business” under
House Rule X. Thank you in advance for your cooperation with this inquiry.”

                                           Sincerely,




                                     Roger Williams
                                         Chairman
                                 Committee on Small Business




cc:    The Honorable Nydia M. Velasquez, Ranking Member
       Committee on Small Business


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