US increases visa fees for H1B, other non-immigrant categories | ActionPunjab

ACTION PUNJAB NEWS Desk: The United States has announced a significant increase in fees for various categories of non-immigrant visas, including the H-1B, L-1, and EB-5, which are the most popular among Indians.
The fee increase, which will take effect on April 1, 2024, is the first since 2016.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US employers to hire foreign workers in specialised occupations requiring theoretical or technical knowledge. Every year, technology companies rely on it to hire tens of thousands of employees from countries such as India and China.

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The EB-5 programme, established by the US government in 1990, allows high-net-worth foreign investors to obtain a US visa for themselves and their families by investing a minimum of $5,00,000 in a US business that creates ten jobs for Americans.

The new H-1B application visa fee, which is based on I-129, will increase from $460 to $780 beginning April 1. The H-1B registration fee will increase from $10 to $215 beginning next year.

According to a federal notification issued on Wednesday, the fee for L-1 visas has increased from $460 to $1,385, while the fee for EB-5 visas, also known as investor visas, has increased from $3,675 to $11,160.

The L-1 visa is a non-immigrant visa category in the United States that is intended for intracompany transfers. It enables large multinational companies to temporarily transfer employees from their overseas offices to work in the United States. The EB-5 Visa (Investors’ Visa) is intended for high-net-worth foreign investors who want to obtain US visas for themselves and their families through a significant investment in a US business.

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