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$675 to Apply - And you thought your product was overpriced

by Scott Ames
18 replies
It costs $675 to apply to take the test for US Citizenship and you get two tries to pass. If you don't, you wait, then cough up another $675. I've seen the test, and I would fail without studying.

A computer class in my field costs about $5,000 a week and to get certified you need about 10 of them. They also are outdated when new versions of the software are released and a delta class is required.

Some industry journals are thousands of dollars a year.

Perhaps your product is not overpriced if you give real value to people.
#$675 #apply #overpriced #product #thought
  • Profile picture of the author dvduval
    I think these are good example of people being locked in to buying, as they have no choice. This is not the kind of sale I like making. It's great when people buy my products, and then come back and buy more because they like the product.
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    • Profile picture of the author Scott Ames
      Originally Posted by dvduval View Post

      I think these are good example of people being locked in to buying, as they have no choice. This is not the kind of sale I like making. It's great when people buy my products, and then come back and buy more because they like the product.
      That is a good point. In most of the three cases people have no choice if they want to move forward to a better life. I hadn't thought of that.
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      • Profile picture of the author dvduval
        Originally Posted by Scott Ames View Post

        That is a good point. In most of the three cases people have no choice if they want to move forward to a better life. I hadn't thought of that.
        Yea, so to be able to charge those prices you need to:
        1. Start a new country
        2. Create a computer related association that is the standard in the industry for certification

        It's good to think about these models though, because often we can find ways to repeat what they did but on a smaller scale.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Lockwood
    It's only $675? What a bargain. It would cost that much just to fly here from many countries.

    Is anyone being forced to apply to become a US citizen?
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
    I looked at the full set of test questions today, and I'm confident I could easily pass on the first try.

    Regardless, anyone taking the test is allowed to study and would have access to the questions (just like we do) online.

    From a marketing standpoint, I'm sure there are ways we can put this to use. Maybe charging people to be certified in some area would work. You decide what they pay, and how they get certified. Hmm...now that I think about it, that idea has been around for quite a while.

    ~Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author lightningzeus
    Originally Posted by Scott Ames View Post

    It costs $675 to apply to take the test for US Citizenship and you get two tries to pass. If you don't, you wait, then cough up another $675. I've seen the test, and I would fail without studying.

    A computer class in my field costs about $5,000 a week and to get certified you need about 10 of them. They also are outdated when new versions of the software are released and a delta class is required.

    Some industry journals are thousands of dollars a year.

    Perhaps your product is not overpriced if you give real value to people.
    but to be honest, this is why we have so many illegal immigrants here
    the price is too much for them handle, but personaly i hate illegal immigrants, if you want to come to the USA do it the right way
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  • Profile picture of the author SimonRiver
    I feel your pain. Sometimes the tiniest services chalk up to the biggest fees. Definitely a rip.
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  • Profile picture of the author jakesworkfromhome
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    • Profile picture of the author AndrewCavanagh
      Charging people to speak with you is a method many consultants and copywriters use.

      It works well as long as you have a good lead generation system set up.

      The perception of the value of your service rises significantly if someone has to pay just to speak to you the first time.

      I have seen people in many fields use different kinds of qulification systems to ensure that the prospects they talk to really are qualified and to increase the perceived value of the product or service they provide.

      Some market leaders do it in real estate, insurance, building, loans etc etc.

      Kindest regards,
      Andrew Cavanagh
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  • Profile picture of the author valerieSONORA
    Or just save your money and be illegal. That's what many do.
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    • Profile picture of the author Lance K
      ¿Ofrece la prueba en español?



      (Do they offer the test in Spanish?)
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  • Profile picture of the author BIG Mike
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    • Profile picture of the author Kevin Riley
      Originally Posted by BIG Mike View Post

      It's pretty typical worldwide I think. My residence permit to live here in Greece is $150 USD per year. My Greek driver's license was around $600 USD (most of the cost is for attending a certified driving school, which is required by law). The good part about the driver's license is it doesn't expire until 2027.

      I think paying $675 to become a US Citizen is one hell of a deal - it's lasts a lifetime. Living illegally in a foriegn country has got to be unbelievably stressful, especially where family is involved. Even if you get away with it, you're excluded from so much normality that I'd pay the fee and meet the other requirements as soon as I could.

      Scott, I hear you on the training and certifications. You said...



      Absolutely - with the training, certification and even the journals that are costly, you're getting tremendous value from industry experts. It's not just one more step in a long sales funnel leading to something else.
      Only $675? Cheap as Borscht.

      It costs most Japanese about $4000 to get a license. I was lucky. I had a Canadian DL. Waited 6 years as I didn't want to take the horrible test here, then they changed the rules and allowed Canadian licenses to be exchanged for Japanese.

      Just had to do the eye test. Would have failed that as I have a slight stigmatism, but I said one direction and pointed in the other, to which they simply thought, "Gaijin can't speak the language" and passed me LOL.

      No residence permit, but I get nailed for $40 on the three-year re-entry permits and about $60 for a visa application every three years. This next year I finally get my permanent. Then, it'll be really smooth sailing.
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  • Profile picture of the author dvduval
    Assemble enough experts together, and you have an "association". Arrange paid consulting for them, and you have revenue. Then promote the idea of membership and add benefits over time. When you have enough, start having conferences and online workshops. Here is a company that did this successfully and is especially doing well as a result of the recent increased interest in alternative energy:
    The Association of Energy Engineers, AEE, Home Page
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    • Profile picture of the author naruq
      I know several marketing consultants who will charge you to speak with them. They want to make sure that you are serious and a qualified prospect. However, If you hire them some will waive the initial consultation fee.
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  • Profile picture of the author sara1987
    This has been discussed elsewhere in the forum
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  • Profile picture of the author Sid Kaplan
    Great thread. I hate to tell you how much it finally cost for my US resident card. 4 figures for sure between the fees for filing and the various medical and security clearances.

    Big Mike is right though. I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder because I am here legally.

    It is really not how much the product or service is "worth", it is more how much you are willing to pay for the value received...LOL

    Now where are those citizenship questions....
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    • Profile picture of the author Scott Ames
      Originally Posted by Sid Kaplan View Post

      Great thread. I hate to tell you how much it finally cost for my US resident card. 4 figures for sure between the fees for filing and the various medical and security clearances.

      Big Mike is right though. I don't have to keep looking over my shoulder because I am here legally.

      It is really not how much the product or service is "worth", it is more how much you are willing to pay for the value received...LOL

      Now where are those citizenship questions....
      Here are the new questions: See how many you can get right before looking at the answer. I would get a good number of them right, but not all.


      Questions and Answers for New Naturalization Test
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      • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
        Originally Posted by Scott Ames View Post

        Here are the new questions: See how many you can get right before looking at the answer. I would get a good number of them right, but not all.


        Questions and Answers for New Naturalization Test
        I got 91 correct. A few of the questions I didn't quite understand the way they were worded. One of them I missed was the number of voting members in the House of Representatives...I guessed 430, but it is 435. I was close, but it was still wrong.

        It really isn't that difficult of a quiz, and even a bit of studying should be enough for any U.S. citizen to pass with flying colors. Maybe a bit harder for a non-native, but not out of reach.

        ~Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author ahuddy
    Only $675 to become an American citizen? We need to start charging more to pay for the bailout. This would be a great source of money to pay for it.
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