USCIS Proposes Significant Fee Hikes for Immigration Processes, H1B Workers and Green Card Applicants to Face Steep Increases”

In response to revenue challenges heightened by the pandemic, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has put forth a comprehensive fee review proposal, impacting various immigration processes in the United States. The proposed fee rule, expected to be finalized in December or January 2024, aims to address the agency’s financial shortfall since 2016.

During the two-month comment period, the proposal, which covers H-1B visas, green card applications, and other immigration processes, has faced criticism from over 6000 individuals and organizations.

Some key highlights of the proposed fee changes include:

H-1B E-registration Fee:

Current: $10
Proposed: $215 (2050% increase)
H-1B Visa Application Fee:

Current: $460
Proposed: $780 (70% increase)
L Visa Application Fee (Intra-Company Transfer):

Current: $460
Proposed: $1,385 (201% increase)
EB-5 Investor Petition Fee (Investment-Linked Green Card):

Current: $3,675
Proposed: $11,160 (204% increase)
EB-5 Investor Petition to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status (with Biometric Services):

Current: $3,835
Proposed: $9,525 (148% increase)
Application for Employment Authorization (Online):

Current: $410
Proposed: $555 (35% increase)
Application for Employment Authorization (Paper Filing):

Current: $410
Proposed: $650 (59% increase)
Application to Adjust to Green Card Status (with Biometric Services):

Current: $1,225
Proposed: $1,540 (26% increase)
Application for Citizenship (Online or Paper Filing):

Current: $640
Proposed: $760 (19% increase)
The USCIS justifies these fee hikes by emphasizing the necessity to align agency capacity with projected workloads and prevent future backlogs. The proposed changes, if implemented, will take effect 60-90 days after the finalization of the fee rule.