subject: H-1B and L-1 Fee Increased by USCIS According to Public Law 111-230 [print this page] President Obama signed the Public Law 111-230 into law on Aug 13, 2010. The provisions in the law allow the increase in the L1 and H-1B visa fees. According to the Public Law 111-230, a fee of $2000 for certain US H-1B visa petitions and a fee of $2,250 for certain L-1A and L-1B visa petitions has to be submitted by the petitioner apart from the existing filing fees. Those H-1B and L1 visa petitions that are postmarked on or after Aug 14, 2010 are subject to this additional fee. Effective until Sept 30, 2004, the increase in L1 and H-1B visa fees is applicable to those petitioners whose workforce has more than 50 percent of H-1B and L-1 nonimmigrants. As an effort to abide by the Public Law 111-230, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is now into the mission of revising the Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. Those petitioners who are applying for H-1B, L-1A, and L-1B visas are obliged to include the additional fees. In case the new additional fee is not applicable, USCIS requires the petitioners to provide evidence or statement enclosing the reason for the same. In case, the additional fee is required, a notation has to be mentioned in bold capital letters at the top of the cover letter. In case, any such documentation is not provided along with the initial form filing, USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence (RFE). This is done to ensure that the petition is covered by the public law. In case uncertainty remains, USCIS may still demand a RFE even when the petitioner provides the evidence. The new fee will be an additional fee apart from the existing American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA) fee, Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee, premium processing fees, and base processing fee. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will collaborate with its stakeholders to ensure that there is a smooth transition.
H-1B and L-1 Fee Increased by USCIS According to Public Law 111-230
