US hikes H-1B visa registration fees by a whopping 2050%, netizens call it an attack on legal immigration
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has finalised its revised rates for visa applications and registration fees. The hikes in rates were revealed in a statement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published Wednesday, January 31. According to the new rule, the H-1B visa registration fees have been increased by a whopping 2050%. Here’s all you need to know about the latest changes in the immigration process announced by the USCIS and DHS.
What are the new rates?
The increased fee structure will be effective from April 1. The most common visa types among Indian immigrants are the H-1B, L-1, and EB-5. After an increase of 2050%, the new H-1B registration process fees will be $215, which is in striking contrast to the current rate of $10. The current L-1B visa fees are $460, which has been increased to $1,385. Meanwhile, the fees for EB-5 visas have jumped from $3,675 to $11,160.
According to the detailed copy of revised rates and fee structure shared by DHS, the agency said, “DHS also revises the USCIS volume forecasts for H–1B registration workload, to 424,400, based on more recent information than was available while drafting the proposed rule, such as the total registrations for the FY 2023 cap year.”
“The proposed rule forecasted 273,990 H–1B registrations. 88 FR 402, 437 (Jan. 4, 2023). This change increases the estimated revenue generated by the H–1B registration fees in the final rule,” the statement by DHS adds. Additionally, the agency also explained the change in rates for the EB-5 visa in the official announcement.
The statement reads, “DHS has updated the USCIS volume forecasts for the EB–5 workload based on more recent and reliable information than what was available while drafting the proposed rule. Increasing the fee-paying receipt forecasts for these workloads conversely increased the estimated revenue generated by EB–5 fees. DHS also revised the USCIS budget to reflect these changes,” per the Federal Register website.
