In written responses to questions, the agency
says it would pay back the money it receives
from Congress with a 10% surcharge on fees.
While the agency cites the pandemic for its
budget woes, immigration experts and a USCIS
employee union say other factors include
administration policies of devoting more
resources to vetting applications and searching
for fraud.
The administration has also halted a number
of programs — including a recent freeze on
H-1B visas for skilled workers — that provide an
important source of revenue for USCIS.