Immigration Fees Skyrocket

The price of citizenship is going up. With applications on the rise, the federal agency for citizenship and immigration is raising charges for almost all benefits, reports the Los Angeles Times. The cost of a green card will go from $325 to $930, while citizenship applications will rise from $330 to $675.

Immigration officials say they need the dough to meet rising costs, which aren't covered by tax money. But critics charge that the agency is too inefficient to justify higher fees, and that the jump in prices will unduly burden poorer immigrants. The increase comes as Congress considers an historic bill that would grant citizenship to some 12 million illegal immigrants. (More immigration stories.)