US raises fees for H-1B, other categories of non-immigrant visas

The US has hiked fees for various categories of non-immigrant visas such as the H-1B, L-1, and EB-5, the most popular among Indians. The fee increase will come into force from April 1, 2024. 

The H-1B visa, a non-immigrant visa, allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require technical expertise. Tech firms in the US depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

Also read: 'This is madness': Elon Musk blasts Biden admin for cap on H-1B visa, says US should increase legal immigration

The new H-1B application visa fee has been increased from $460 to $780. The H-1B registration will increase from $10 to $215 from next year.

The fee for L-1 visas, a non-immigrant visa that is designed for intracompany transferees, has been increased from $460 to $1,385. The L-1 visa allows multinational companies to transfer certain employees from their foreign offices to work in the US temporarily.

The fee for EB-5 visas, popularly known as investors visas, has jumped from $3,675 to $11,160, according to a federal notification issued on Wednesday. The EB-5 programme enables high-net-worth foreign investors to obtain a US visa for themselves and their families by investing a minimum of $5,00,000 in a US business that helps create 10 jobs for American workers. This was launched by the US government in 1990.

The fee adjustments, as well as changes to the forms and fee structures, will result in net costs, benefits, and transfer payments, the Department of Homeland Security said in its federal notification.

Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk blasted the US for putting a cap on visas under the H-1B category and said the country should shut down illegal immigration and increase legal immigration. He said it was insanely difficult for legal immigrants to move to the US. 

"While it is trivial to enter the United States illegally, it is insanely difficult for legal immigrants to move to the United States," Musk said while commenting on a chart that showed pending applications by 'highly skilled people' for visas under the H-1B category.

Indian techies are among the major beneficiaries of H-1B category visas. However, a limit has been placed on the number of applications that will be accepted per year under the category. 

(With inputs from PTI)