iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has hiked the premium processing fee for H-1B visa applications. USCIS announced that it will increase the filing fee for Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, to adjust for inflation.
“The USCIS Stabilization Act established the current premium processing fees and the authority for the Department of Homeland Security to adjust the premium fees on a biennial basis. After leaving these fees unchanged for the three years following the passage of the Act, DHS is now increasing the premium processing fees USCIS charges for all eligible forms and categories to reflect the amount of inflation from June 2021 through June 2023 according to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The adjustment increases certain premium processing fees from $1,500 to $1,685, $1,750 to $1,965, and $2,500 to $2,805,” the USCIS stated.
The revenue generated by the premium processing fee increase will be used by DHS to provide premium processing services, make improvements to adjudication processes, respond to adjudication demands, including reducing benefit request processing backlogs, and fund USCIS adjudication and naturalization services.
The hike is for the forms I-129, I-140, I-539, and I-765. Form I-140 is the immigrant petition for alien worker, Form I-539 is an application to change or extend non-immigrant status; and Form I-765 is for employment authorization. The H-1B visa processing fee will be increased by 12 percent and will amount to $ 2,805, according to the USCIS. These changes will be effective from February 26, 2024. If USCIS receives a Form I-907 postmarked on or after Feb. 26, 2024, with the incorrect filing fee, it will reject the Form I-907 and return the filing fee.
