US expands 9-11 fee for H1-B, L-1 visa extension petitions from Sep 9

The US is extending an existing H-1B and L-1 visa fee to certain extension petitions, potentially increasing immigration costs for large employers that rely on foreign workers. The change could have a significant impact on Indian IT services and consulting companies, which are among the major users of these work visa categories.

From September 9, employers meeting specific workforce conditions will have to pay the existing $4,000 fee for H-1B petitions and $4,500 for L-1 petitions when filing eligible extension-of-status requests.

The important point is that the fee amounts themselves have not been raised. Instead, the US government is widening the circumstances in which the fee must be paid. Earlier, the charge generally applied to initial H-1B and L-1 petitions and certain cases involving a change of employer. The new rule brings qualifying extension petitions into its scope, according to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).