USCIS Proposes Significant Fee Hikes for H-1B Visas, Green Cards Amid Revenue Challenges
To address financial constraints exacerbated by the pandemic, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has put forth a proposal outlining substantial fee increases across various immigration processes, including H-1B visas and green card applications. The proposal, currently in a two-month comment period, has garnered criticism from over 6000 individuals and organizations. Expected to be finalized in December or January 2024, with an effective date within 60-90 days, the fee adjustments aim to bridge the gap in covering the full cost of agency operations, a shortfall persisting since 2016.
Notably, the H-1B E-registration fee could undergo a remarkable 2050% surge, jumping from $10 to $215. Additionally, the petition fee for H-1B visa applications may rise by 70%, going from $460 to $780. The USCIS justifies these increases by emphasizing the necessity to align agency capacity with projected workloads and prevent potential backlogs.
Citizenship application fees (naturalization) are slated for a 19% increase, moving from $640 to $760. The most substantial fee hikes are proposed for EB-5 investors participating in the investment-linked green card program. Initial I-526 petitions might experience a 204% increase, reaching $11,160, while I-829 petitions seeking to remove conditions on permanent resident status could see a 148% increase to $9,525.
Source: MSN
