New Fees for H-1B Status and L-1 Visa/Status Petition

New Fees for H-1B Status and L-1 Visa/Status Petition Question: What is the current fee for H-1B or L-1 visa application? is the fee required only for initial petition or change of employer? Answer, A law has passed in U.S. Comgress (Public Law 114-113) to increase the an already high filing fee for H-1B visa and L-1 visa petitions filed by companies that meet certain requirements, the subject employers must pay the increased fee of $4,000 for all new H-1B employees (increased from $2,000), and $4,500 for all new L-1A and L-1B employees (increased from $2,250). Only companies with fifty (50) employees or more in the U.S., at least 50 percent of whom are in H-1B status or L-1 status, are subject to the fee of $4,000 for H-1B, or $4,500 for L-1. If a company has fewer than 50 employees in the U.S., or if company's combined total of H-1B and L-1 workers is less than 50 percent of its total U.S. workforce, this fee does not apply. The following petitioners must submit the additional fees with an H-1B or L-1 petition filed: 1) Initially to grant status to a nonimmigrant status of H-1B or L-1, or 2) To obtain authorization for a nonimmigrant in such status to change employers. This fee is in addition to the a) Base Processing Fee, b) Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee, c) American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 fee (when required), as well as d) the premium processing fee, if applicable. Subject employers do not need to include the $4,000 or $4,500 fee each time an H-1B visa or L-1 visa petition is filed to USCIS. An employer generally is required to pay the fee only one time for such employee. It is important for employers to properly assess filing fee requirements. H-1B or L-1 petitions filed without the correct filing fees may be rejected directly. http://www.greencardapply.com/question/question16/H1B_L1_Fee_020216.htm http://www.greencardapply.com/h1b.htm http://www.greencardapply.com/l1visa.htm