The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published revised visa application fee structures on Wednesday, including a monumental 2050% spike for popular H-1B registrations paid by employers. The dramatic overhaul applies from April 1st also encompassing categories like L-1 and EB-5 commonly leveraged by Indian immigrants.
USCIS cited updated application volume forecasts and aligned budgetary requirements behind the first fee increment in over 6 years across the board. But the unprecedented surge for H-1B sign-ups in particular caused an outcry regarding disproportionate burden on foreign talent pipelines.
H-1B Registration Fees At $215 Versus $10
As per the incoming fee regime, H-1B visa registrations will now cost employers $215 instead of existing meagre $10 per application, a jaw-dropping rise of 2000% necessitating major recruiter strategy rethinking. L-1 and EB-5 categories also face almost 3X escalations to $1385 and $11,160 respectively from next fiscal.
USCIS expects 4 times the number of H-1B applications this cycle stretching resources. Critics argue a multi-fold fee spike skews immigration policies detrimentally and undermines America’s positioning as a skilled talent magnet against competition.
Rates Unchanged Since 2017
The immigration agency stressed that application charges remained static over the past 6 years despite workflow volumes more than doubling over the period. Ensuring adequate services hence requires updated collections realigning back-end systems, operations and personnel supporting extensive applicant lifecycles.
