The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a new fee schedule that would significantly increase the cost of filing for many immigration benefits, particularly for employment-based petitioners. The proposed rule includes significant increases for filing fees for H-1B, L-1, and other nonimmigrant visas on Form I-129. It also includes a significant increase in the fee for H-1B cap registration, from $10 to $215, and a new $600 “Asylum Program Fee” for Form I-129 and Form I-140 petitioners.
The proposal also lengthens the premium processing timeframe from 15 calendar days to 15 business days and unbundles the filing fees for adjustment of status and related work and travel authorization applications.
The proposed fee schedule represents a 40% average increase from current fees, with some immigration groups seeing much steeper increases. Employment-based immigration petitions would be particularly affected, with the H-1B fee increasing by 70% and the L-1 fee increasing by 201%. However, fees for several “humanitarian programs” would remain at current levels or decrease.
The DHS claims that the proposed fee adjustments are necessary to improve processing times and provide adequate service, and that without increased revenue, agency backlogs will continue to grow. The public will have 60 days to submit comments on the proposal after it is published in the Federal Register.
If you have any questions about how the immigration and nationality laws in the United States may impact you or your family members or if you want to access additional information about the U.S. or Canadian immigration and nationality laws, please feel free to get in touch with the immigration and nationality lawyers at NPZ Law Group. You can send us an email at info@visaserve.com or call us at 201-670-0006 extension 104. In addition, we invite you to find more information on our website at www.visaserve.com