Budget, Planning and Performance

USCIS funding comes primarily from fees we charge applicants or petitioners requesting immigration or naturalization benefits. These fee collections fund the cost of fairly and efficiently adjudicating immigration benefit requests. Fees we collect are deposited into the Immigration Examinations Fee Account (IEFA). The IEFA was created by Congress in 1988, establishing the authority to recover the full cost of immigration benefit processing. This account comprises approximately 94% percent of USCIS' total FY 2024 spending authority.

In accordance with the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (CFO Act), 31 U.S.C. 901-03, and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-25, USCIS biennially reviews the non-statutory fees deposited into the IEFA. If necessary, DHS proposes fee adjustments to ensure full cost recovery. ¹The remaining budget authority comes from three other mandatory fee accounts and appropriated funding for the E-Verify program.

¹ USCIS's last Fee Schedule was published on Jan. 31, 2024, and resulted from the FY 2022/2023 IEFA fee review. See https://www.regulations.gov/docket/USCIS-2021-0010

• FY17 Report to Congress Statement of Financial Condition
• FY18 Report to Congress Statement of Financial Condition
• FY19 Report to Congress Statement of Financial Condition
• FY20 Report to Congress Statement of Financial Condition
• FY21 Report to Congress Statement of Financial Condition
• FY22 Report to Congress Statement of Financial Condition
• FY23 Report to Congress Statement of Financial Condition

The Annual Evaluation Plan describes a subset, designated “significant,” of USCIS’ evaluation work for a given fiscal year:

• USCIS FY 2025 Annual Evaluation Plan
• USCIS FY 2024 Annual Evaluation Plan