The US government has reportedly proposed a new measure involving a steep hike in fees for services such as immigration and naturalization benefits, which also includes hefty fee hikes for employment-based visa categories like H-1B temporary work visas for certain special occupations.
The principal beneficiaries of these visas usually are Indians and intra-company transfers. The fees for pre-registration involving H-1B visas are expected to increase by a massive 2,050 per cent from the current sum of $10 currently to $215, and 70 per cent for H-1 category including H-1B visa fees from $460 to $780.
A hike of 201 per cent is proposed for L visa for intra-company transfers to the United States, from current charge of $460 to $1,385, and a 129 per cent for O category for workers who bring extraordinary skills. Some charges might remain the same, particularly the premium processing for all visa types - at $2,500 – while others may be reduced.
These proposed hikes were mentioned in the Federal Register. This is the US version of the Indian Gazette, by the Department of Homeland Security, the nodal agency of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
