The USCIS has recently declared a substantial rise in fees for several categories of non-immigrant visas, including the widely used H-1B, L-1, and EB-5 work visas.
The H-1B visa, a non-immigrant category, permits US companies to engage foreign workers in specialized occupations demanding theoretical or technical expertise. Renowned for being extensively utilized by technology companies, the H-1B visa serves as a means for hiring tens of thousands of employees annually, particularly from developing countries.
The EB-5 program, initiated by the US government in 1990, empowers high-net-worth foreign investors to secure a US visa for themselves and their families by investing a minimum of $500,000 in a US business, contributing to the creation of 10 jobs for American workers.Scheduled to take effect from April 1, the revised fee structure for H-1B visa applications, specifically the I-129 form, witnesses an increase from $460 to $780. Simultaneously, H-1B registration fees will rise from $10 to $215, starting next year.
In a recent federal notification issued on Wednesday, the fees for L-1 visas surge from $460 to $1,385, and for EB-5 visas, commonly known as investor visas, the cost has escalated from $3,675 to $11,160.
The L-1 visa, a non-immigrant category in the US, caters to intracompany transferees, allowing multinational companies to temporarily transfer specific employees from their overseas offices to work in the United States.
"The fee adjustments, coupled with modifications to the forms and fee structures utilized by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), are anticipated to result in net costs, benefits, and transfer payments, as outlined in the Department of Homeland Security's federal notification.
Over the 10-year period covered by the rule (FY 2024 through FY 2033), the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimates the annualized net costs to the public at $157,005,952, discounted at both three and seven percent. The projected total net costs over a decade stand at $1,339,292,617 discounted at three percent and $1,102,744,106 discounted at seven percent.
DHS asserts that the changes introduced in the final rule will yield several benefits for both the government and applicants/petitioners seeking immigration benefits.
For the government, these benefits encompass reduced administrative burdens and fewer fee processing errors, heightened efficiency in the adjudicative process, and an improved ability to assess the cost of providing services, facilitating better-aligned fees in future regulations.
On the flip side, applicants and petitioners can look forward to a host of benefits, including a decrease in fee processing errors, enhanced efficiency in the adjudicative process, a simplified fee payment process for specific forms, the removal of the $30 returned check fee, and for many individuals, moderate fee adjustments and additional exemptions designed to ease financial strains.
Additionally, it's important to highlight that the federal notification has ushered in minor reductions in visa application fees across various categories.
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