US hikes H-1B work visa application fee

The USCIS is scheduled to implement this new process for the fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap selection process. Photo courtesy: Pixabay
The USCIS is scheduled to implement this new process for the fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap selection process. Photo courtesy: Pixabay

The United States has announced a USD 10 increase in the H-1B work visa application fee as part of its revised selection process.

The non-refundable fee will support the new electronic registration system to make the H-1B cap selection process more efficient for both petitioners and the federal agency, said the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Thursday.

Under the new electronic registration system, petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions will first have to electronically register with the USCIS during a designated registration period, unless the requirement is suspended, the USCIS said. This includes those eligible for the advanced degree exemption.

Also read: Indian IT companies suffering most due to H-1B visa denials

The USCIS is scheduled to implement this new process for the fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap selection process, pending completed testing of the system.

The federal agency will announce the implementation timeframe and initial registration period in the federal register once a formal decision has been made.