US mulls new fees for H-1B visa applicants, move likely to impact Indians hard
PTC News Desk: The United States has approved a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposal attributing certain fee submissions for H-1B visa applications on Wednesday. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs’ approval of the plan (RIN:1615-AD20) brings it closer to public release and implementation soon.
The DHS has begun proposing new fees for both the H-1B work visa programme and the F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme, according to New York City-based immigration law firm Fragomen.
The proposals are still under review and the exact amounts are not public. However the development deems significant for Indians, who account for overwhelming majority of H-1B beneficiaries.
The possible new fees come after a difficult year for H-1B applicants. The Trump administration had introduced a $100,000 payment requirement for certain H-1B petitions, but a federal court later struck down the fee.
The H-1B visa is meant for foreign professionals working in specialised jobs, while the F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme allows international students to work temporarily in jobs related to their studies.
What Are the Possible New H-1B and OPT Fees?
Fragomen, a leading US immigration law firm, said on August 21 that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has started the process of introducing new fees for the H-1B and F-1 OPT programmes.
According to the firm, DHS sent a proposed fee rule for the OPT programme to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review on August 20. A separate proposal for a fee on certain H-1B petitions was submitted to the OMB and cleared review on August 19.
The details of both proposals have not been made public yet, so there is no confirmed amount for the new fees.
However, Fragomen said recent media reports suggest that the DHS could propose an OPT fee of up to $100,000. The proposed H-1B fee may also be connected to the legal dispute over the earlier $100,000 H-1B payment requirement.
- With inputs from agencies
