Visa fee increases in the United States are set to take effect on April 1st

April 1 :
The prices for a number of US non-immigrant visas, such as the highly sought-after H1-B visa for Indian citizens and others like the L-1 and EB-5 visas, will increase as of April 1, 2024.

Form I-129, which is required to apply for an H-1B visa, now costs US$780 US$460. In addition, the H-1B visa registration price will rise from US$0 to US$215. Employers in the US are permitted to hire foreign nationals for positions requiring specialised knowledge thanks to t
he H-1B visa.

The stay can be extended for a maximum of six years beyond the initial three-year period. Indian tech workers have been major beneficiaries of H1B visas, having secured over 70% of the 85,000 available visas (including the 20,000 visas set aside for holders of advanced US degrees under the master's quota) in previous years.

The cost of an L-1 visa increased from US$460 to US$1,385 at the same time. The L-1A and L-1B are the two subcategories of the L-1 visa. A US firm may open a new office in the US or transfer executives or managers from its overseas offices to its US offices with the L-1A visa. Conversely, the L-1B visa is intended for the transfer of highly skilled workers to the company's US headquarters.

Apart from H-1B and L-1, there was also an increase in the EB-5 programme. The cost of an EB-5 visa increased from $3,675 to $11,160. This kind of visa is well-known for providing investors with sizable investments with a route to US residency. The goal of the EB-5 programme is to promote economic expansion and employment creation.

The fee rise comes after a US district court denied a "temporary restraining order" that attempted to delay the implementation of the immigration fee hikes scheduled for April 1. The American Immigrant Investor Alliance (AIIA) and ITServe Alliance filed a lawsuit, requesting a stay of the revised fees until the court resolved the matter.