Starting in April, there will be a significant increase in the cost of H-1B registration and petition filing fees for Form I-129. Significant cost increases are put in place by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a move that could impact several immigration procedures. The new schedule for visa fees will impact the cost of many non-immigrant visa categories such as H-1B, L-1, and EB-5 visas, which are the most sought-after by Indians. April 1, 2024, is when the new fees will go into effect.

The current $10 H-1B registration process fee will climb to $215, a 2,050% increase.

The Form I-129 H-1B petition filing fee is an additional cost that must be incurred after the H-1B registration cost.

The petition filing fee for Form I-129 H-1B is currently at $460, which will be raised to $780, an increase of 70%.

There will be no grace period for filing the new version of Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker because it must be revised with a new fee calculation.

Form I-129: Key Timeline and Watchouts for H-1B Nonimmigrants

USCIS will accept the 05/31/23 edition of this form if it is postmarked before April 1, 2024;

USCIS will not accept the 05/31/23 edition of this form if it is postmarked on or after April 1, 2024; and

USCIS will only accept the 04/01/24 edition of this form if it is postmarked on or after April 1, 2024.

Starting August 11, 2022, USCIS no longer requires petitioners to submit a duplicate copy of Form I-129.

USCIS has also announced the dates of the first registration period for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B cap. The initial registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B cap will open at noon Eastern on March 6, 2024, and run through noon Eastern on March 22, 2024.

Also, the opening of an online filing option for Forms I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, and Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service, for H-1B petitioners was announced by USCIS.

On February 28, 2024, USCIS will launch the previously announced new organizational accounts in the USCIS online account that will allow multiple people within an organization and their legal representatives to collaborate on and prepare H-1B registrations, H-1B petitions, and any associated Form I-907. On April 1, USCIS will begin accepting online filing for H-1B cap petitions and associated Forms I-907 for petitioners whose registrations have been selected.