Upcoming fee increases spurs jump in immigration requests

Immigration officials are flooded with requests for green cards and citizenship papers as foreigners scramble to beat whopping increases in application fees, due to kick in at the end of the month.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will raise application fees an average of 66 percent. The cost to become a legal permanent resident, known as a green-card holder, will jump from $180 to $1,450.

A Painesville group that advocates for Hispanic migrant workers predicted the staggering jump will be a devastating blow to workers and the area's farm economy.

"It is only going to drive farm workers deeper into poverty," said Veronica Dahlberg, director of the Hispanic Organizations of Lake and Ashtabula Counties. "Farm workers are notoriously underpaid."