H-1B Lottery Revamp, Higher Visa Fees Finalized in New Rules (1)

Final rules hiking fees for employment-based visas and overhauling the lottery process for H-1B speciality occupation visas were released Tuesday by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The fee update would be the first time visa costs at USCIS have been adjusted since 2016. The almost entirely fee-funded agency has faced pressure from a growing humanitarian workload on top of operating employment and family-based immigration programs. The rule will be effective April 1.

The agency’s other final rule will base H-1B lottery selections on unique beneficiaries rather than the number of registrations submitted on their behalf by employers—an effort by ...