Final Rule to Update Immigration Fees Clears White House Review

An overhaul of immigration fees (1615-AC68), including those covering temporary and permanent work visas, has cleared White House review, the last step before the rule’s publication.

A draft fee rule released by US Citizenship and Immigration Services last year would hike registration fees for H-1B specialty occupation visas to $215. Costs for applicants across the board would rise by 40%, with most of the increases shouldered by employment-based visa petitioners.

USCIS is almost entirely funded by user payments, but the agency’s fees haven’t been updated since 2016. A Trump administration fee rule was blocked by a federal district ...