Immigration Agency That Issues Visas, Green Cards Struggles to Stay Afloat

AdvertisementSupported byU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has asked Congress for a lifeline amid the coronavirus pandemic that has caused applications to plummet and brought it to the brink of insolvency.By Miriam JordanLOS ANGELES — A precipitous drop in applications for green cards, citizenship and other programs has threatened the solvency of the federal agency that administers the country’s lawful immigration system, prompting it to seek a $1.2 billion cash infusion from Congress as well as fee hikes to stay afloat.The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, which relies on the fees that it charges applicants to fund its operations, said that it could run out of money by the summer because the coronavirus pandemic had resulted in far fewer people applying for visas and other benefits.“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S.C.I.S. has seen a dramatic decrease in revenue,” said a spokesman for the agency, noting that its receipts could plummet by more than 60 percent by the close of the current fiscal year, which ends Sept.