US proposes up to 332 per cent hike for H1-B, other visa fees

The Joe Biden administration in the United States has proposed a massive hike in the immigration fees, including for H-1B visas. The H1-B visas remain a popular choice of non-immigrant visa among high-skilled tech professionals, especially the ones from India.

H1-B visa fee hike: What does the proposal entail?

Under the new Biden administration's proposal published Wednesday, the application for the H1-B visa may increase from $460 now to $780. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Every year, technology companies, especially the ones headquartered in the Silicon Valley, hire tens of thousands of employees from countries like India and China.

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Under the proposed rule, the fee for the H2-B petitions (for seasonal, non-agricultural workers) is proposed to increase from USD 460 to USD 1,080.

Whereas the feefor L-1 visa application may increase from $460 to $1385, a 332 per cent hike. An L-1 visa is issued to the individuals employed by a US-headquartered company outside the US but need to relocate to the United States.

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The application fee for O-1 visas may increase from $460 to $1,055, a 229per cent hike, as per the latest proposal published by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). An O-1 visa is issued to individuals with extraordinary ability by sustained national or international acclaim, or a record of extraordinary achievement in the motion picture and television industry.

H1-B visa fee hike: When will the proposal become a rule?

The proposed rule went on a 60-day public opposition period starting January 4, 2023. Till March 7, 2023, the individuals from the general public will be able to add suggestions to the proposed rule considering fee hike for various immigration and naturalisation-related requests.

H1-B visa fee hike: Why the hike at all?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in its federal notification, has reasoned that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is primarily funded by fees charged to applicants and petitioners for immigration and naturalisation benefit requests.

The agency receives approximately 96 per cent of its funding from filing fees, not from congressional appropriations, it argued.

The agency further argued that its current fees, which have remained unchanged since 2016, fall far short of recovering the full cost of agency operations.

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