# Immigration Examinations Fee Account

**Agency:** Homeland Security  
**Account:** Immigration Examinations Fee Account  
**Source document:** U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services · p. 4  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/budget/homeland-security/immigration-examinations-fee-account  

> **Trust:** parsed from the agency Congressional Justification. Approximate, **not summable**, verify at the cited page.

## Funding ($M)

| Fiscal year | Basis | Amount |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FY2025 | enacted | 7,012.5 |
| FY2026 | CR annualized | 6,373.4 |
| FY2027 | request | 6,761.9 |

The prior-year column is a CR annualized figure, not an enacted appropriation.


## Homeland Security discretionary budget authority (OMB PBDB — authoritative)

FY2027 $91.40B, FY2026 $88.60B. This is the agency total, not a sum of the parsed lines.


## What this funds

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Immigration Examinations Fee Account Subtotal Mandatory - Fee Comparison of Fee Collections The Immigration Examinations Fee Account (IEFA) is the primary funding source for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The ' Strengthen and effectively administer the immigration system. ' Strengthen national security safeguards and combat fraud. ' Reinforce quality and consistency in legally administering immigration benefits. (t), (u)). In addition, section 286(u) of the INA, (8 U.S.C. ' 1356(u)), provides the Secretary with authority to establish and collect a premium fee for the premium processing of certain immigration benefit types. The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act, Pub. L. 116-159, which was signed into law on October 1, 2020, contains the Emergency Stopgap USCIS Stabilization Act (USCIS Stabilization Act). The USCIS Stabilization Act increased the fee for petitions that were previously designated for premium processing service, broadened the authorized use of funds, and allowed for the expansion of premium processing to new categories of petitions and applications. On July 4, 2025, the Working Families Tax Cut Act (WFTC) (Public Law 119-21) was signed into law, and established additional fees for various immigration-related forms, benefits, statuses, petitions, applications, and requests administered by multiple government agencies, including USCIS. USCIS will collect and retain a portion of the revenue from some of these fees in the IEFA. The remaining revenue will be deposited with the general fund of the Treasury. Fee Uses: Fees collected with the submission of immigration benefit requests are deposited into IEFA and used to fund the full cost of processing immigration benefit requests, including the cost of providing services without charge to applicants whose fees are waived or to whom a fee exemption U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Immigration Examinations Fee Account The IEFA supports the following activities: ' Adjudication Operations: Contains Program Offices and Directorates (PODs) responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the nation's lawful immigration system by leading agency efforts to combat fraud, detect national security and public safety threats, and maximize law enforcement and Intelligence Community partnerships. The Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) leads the Agency's efforts to determine whether individuals or organizations filing for immigration benefits pose a threat to national security, public safety, or the integrity of the Nation's immigration system. The Field Operations Directorate (FOD) plays a critical role in robust vetting and screening by conducting thorough in-person interviews with applicants, which serve as a key mechanism for verifying identities, assessing eligibility, and detecting potential fraud or security concerns. These interviews are integral to the agency's multilayered approach to safeguarding the immigration system. The Service Center Operations Directorate (SCOPS) is responsible for processing and making final eligibility determinations on immigration benefit applications and petitions at offices nationwide. SCOPS conducts comprehensive security vetting and eligibility analysis through system checks and rigorous document review. In collaboration with FDNS, law enforcement, and other partners, SCOPS identifies emerging concerns and trends, ensuring appropriate follow-up actions to protect American communities, combat fraud, put American workers first, and end the exploitation of various programs, bringing integrity to the immigration system. Embedded within each of these directorates are personnel dedicated to improving the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of USCIS decisions. Also included are public safety components and support services such as guard services, janitorial services, rent and other overhead. ' Immigration Policy and Support: Supports USCIS policy review and decision-making processes, coordinating the development, clearance, and submission of all policy documents for the Director's review and approval. In addition, supports the governance of official communications between policy and advisory components and Congress, DHS headquarters, and other DHS components, and advisory components as well as program office components not included elsewhere. Also includes components responsible for management of space, contracts, security, deployment of IT services and solutions in support of immigration policy and the USCIS enterprise. ' Refugee, Asylum, and International Operations. Similar to FOD and SCOPS, The Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate (RAIO) is responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the nation's lawful immigration system by processing immigration benefit applications in offices domestically and internationally. In certain scenarios, RAIO also interviews aliens requesting refugee or asylum status in the United States that are interdicted at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard, encountered at the border, or otherwise apprehended by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Embedded within the directorate are personnel dedicated to improving the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of USCIS decisions. Also included are public safety components and support services such as guard services, janitorial ' Immigration Records and Applicant Services: Contains PODs that primarily provide interaction and services to inter/intra agency partners and the general public and associated overhead, as


**Where it sits:** Civilian / Non-Defense › Homeland Security › U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services › Immigration Examinations Fee Account


*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. government. Civilian line dollars are parsed from agency Congressional Justifications and are approximate.*