A substantial rise in immigration application fees has been implemented by the US government, affecting several visa categories. New visa fees for immigration filings will be effective April 1, according to confirmation from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The cost of filing petitions for Form I-129 and H-1B registration has increased significantly from April. The cost of numerous non-immigrant visa categories, including the most sought-after by Indians H-1B, L-1, and EB-5 visas, would be impacted by the new schedule for visa fees.

The $10 H-1B registration process price that is now in place will increase by 2,050% to $215. After the H-1B registration fee, there is an extra expense that needs to be paid: the Form I-129 H-1B petition filing charge. Form I-129 H-1B petition filing fees are now $460; however, they will increase by 70% to $780.

The new Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, must be filed with a new fee calculation, as there will not be a grace period.

Among the other major modifications, the EB-5 Visa Program is one of the most significant. The Fifth Preference Employment-Based Immigrant Visa is known as EB-5.

The EB-5 Visa fee will be $11,160, which is a 204 percent increase from the earlier $3,675 fee, for Forms I-526, Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur, and Form I-526E, Immigrant Petition by Regional Center Investor.

The fee for Form I–829, Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status, is $9,525, a $5,775 or 154 percent increase from the earlier $3,750 fee.

The fee for Form I–956, Application for Regional Center Designation, is $47,695, a $29,900 or 168-percent increase from the $17,795 fee for Form I–924, Application for Regional Center Designation under the Immigrant Investor Program.

The fee schedule along with the full list of the revised forms go into effect from April 1, 2024. USCIS will accept prior editions of most forms during a grace period from April 1, 2024, through June 3, 2024. During this grace period, USCIS will accept previous and new editions of certain forms, filed with the correct fee.

However, there will be no grace period for the following new forms, because they must be revised with a new fee calculation.

Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker;

Form I-129CW, Petition for a CNMI-Only Nonimmigrant Transitional Worker;

Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers;

Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition (and Form I-600A/I-600 Supplements 1, 2, and 3); and

Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative (and Form I-600A/I-600 Supplements 1, 2, and 3).

If one has already submitted a benefit request either online or in paper form, the fee rule does not affect that pending request and one needs to take no further action.

New form versions will be available by default in the online platform on April 1, 2024. One will not be able to submit older versions of forms after April 1, 2024.

On April 1, 2024, USCIS will have to delete any Form N-400 drafts in progress, and one will have to restart the N-400 application. This is necessary because Form N-400 is the only form currently available for online filing that will not have a grace period when the new form version is required on April 1.

USCIS has notified users within their myUSCIS accounts informing them that, if they have any existing drafts or any newly created Form N-400 applications, they will need to start a new application on April 1.