The fee hike, first after 2016, will come into force from April 1
Our Bureau
Washington
The US has announced a steep increase in fees for various categories of non-immigrant visas like the H-1B, L-1 and EB-5, the most popular among Indians. the new H-1B application visa fee, which is form I-129, has been increased from $460 to $780. The H-1B registration will increase from $10 to $215 but from next year.
The fee for L-1 visas has been increased from $ 460 to $ 1,385, and that of EB-5 visas, popularly known as investor visas, has been hiked from $ 3,675 to $ 11,160.
The fee adjustments, as well as changes to the forms and fee structures used by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will result in net costs, benefits, and transfer payments, the Department of Homeland Security said in its federal notification.
The primary benefits to the applicants/petitioners include reduced fee processing errors, increased efficiency in the adjudicative process, the simplification of the fee payment process for some forms, elimination of the $ 30 returned check fee, and for many applicants, limited fee increases and additional fee exemptions to reduce fee burdens.
The fee adjustments, as well as changes to the forms and fee structures used by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will result in net costs, benefits, and transfer payments, the Department of Homeland Security said in its federal notification.
