US
to
cha ge
H-1B,
L-1
exte sio
fee
f om
Septembe
9.
The
US
has
expa ded
the
scope
of
a
visa
fee
that
could
sig ifica tly
aise
immig atio
costs
fo
la ge
employe s,
with
the
USD
4,000
cha ge
fo
H-1B
petitio s
a d
USD
4,500
fee
fo
L-1
petitio s
ow
set
to
apply
to
ce tai
visa
exte sio
fili gs
f om
Septembe
9.The
Depa tme t
of
Homela d
Secu ity
(DHS)
said
the
evised
ule
will
cove
employe s
that
meet
the
followi g
c ite ia:
-
Have
at
least
50
employees
i
the
US;
a d -
Have
mo e
tha
50
pe
ce t
of
thei
US
wo kfo ce
o
H-1B
o
L-1
visas.
Fo
employe s
meeti g
these
co ditio s,
the
fee
will
ow
apply
ot
o ly
to
i itial
H-1B
a d
L-1
petitio s
a d
ce tai
cha ge-of-employe
petitio s,
but
also
to
qualifyi g
exte sio -of-stay
petitio s
fo
existi g
employees.
Fee
scope
wide ed
Ea lie ,
the
9-11
Respo se
a d
Biomet ic
E t y-Exit
Fee
ge e ally
applied
to
i itial
H-1B
a d
L-1
petitio s
a d
ce tai
cases
i volvi g
a
cha ge
of
employe .
Routi e
exte sio
petitio s
filed
by
the
same
employe
we e
ge e ally
exempt
f om
this
pa ticula
fee.DHS
said
the
ew
i te p etatio
co ects
its
ea lie
eadi g
of
the
law
a d
equi es
cove ed
employe s
to
pay
the
biomet ic
fee
fo
all
qualifyi g
exte sio -of-status
petitio s.
Ame ded
petitio s
that
do
ot
seek
a
exte sio
of
the
wo ke ‘s
autho ised
stay
will
co ti ue
to
be
exempt.The
fee
itself
has
ot
i c eased.
Employe s
will
pay
USD
4,000
fo
each
qualifyi g
H-1B
petitio
a d
USD
4,500
fo
each
L-1
fili g.
DHS
estimates
the
expa ded
collectio s
could
ge e ate
about
USD
157.3
millio
a ually,
while
sepa ate
estimates
cited
i
the
ule
put
additio al
collectio s
at
USD
37.9
millio
i
fiscal
2026
a d
USD
40
millio
i
fiscal
2027.The
eve ue
is
used
to
suppo t
the
US
Customs
a d
Bo de
P otectio ‘s
biomet ic
e t y-exit
system,
which
uses
tech ologies
i cludi g
facial
compa iso
to
t ack
a d
ve ify
fo eig
atio als
e te i g
a d
leavi g
the
cou t y.
I dia
IT
fi ms
face
highe
costs
The
cha ge
could
have
a
disp opo tio ate
impact
o
majo
I dia
IT
se vices
a d
co sulti g
compa ies,
which
employ
la ge
umbe s
of
I dia
p ofessio als
i
the
US
o
H-1B
a d
L-1
visas.Fo
fi ms
ma agi g
thousa ds
of
such
wo ke s,
the
fee
could
ow
become
a
ecu i g
cost
whe
eligible
employees
seek
exte sio s
with
the
same
employe DHS
data
cited
i
the
ule
shows
that
about
27
pe
ce t
of
H-1B
fili gs
by
cove ed
employe s
i cu ed
the
biomet ic
fee
betwee
fiscal
yea s
2018
a d
2025.
U de
the
expa ded
i te p etatio ,
the
depa tme t
estimates
that
a ou d
75
pe
ce t
of
thei
H-1B
petitio s
would
have
bee
subject
to
the
cha ge.The
highe
ecu i g
cost
could
p ompt
compa ies
to
eassess
the
eco omics
of
etai i g
fo eig
wo ke s
i
the
US,
pa ticula ly
those
faci g
multiple
visa
exte sio s.Fo
I dia
p ofessio als,
who
fo m
a
la ge
sha e
of
the
US
H-1B
wo kfo ce
a d
ofte
face
le gthy
employme t-based
g ee
ca d
backlogs,
the
highe
employe
costs
could
i flue ce
decisio s
o
etai i g
wo ke s
o
lo g-te m
US
assig me ts.
