USCIS Proposes to Increase Visa Fees for Foreign Guestworkers

Fees charged to employers of foreign guestworkers and immigrant applicants will rise across the board in a proposed US Citizenship and Immigration Services rule.

The proposed fee update released Tuesday, if finalized, would represent a weighted average increase of 40% across the board, most of which would be accounted for by employment-based requests.

Pre-registration fees for H-1B specialty occupation visas, for example, would rise to $215. Petitions for H-2A temporary agricultural workers and H-2B temporary, non-farm workers would rise to $1,090 and $1,080, respectively, under the proposed rule.

USCIS Director Ur Jaddou for months has touted the fee update as ...