USCIS to Increase Filing Fees on April 1st

USCIS has announced a fee increase for most immigration applications for the first time since 2016. Effective April 1, 2024, application fees will be increased for most family and employment-based categories, including:

• H-1B Registration Process Fee (to enter an individual in the lottery): fee increasing from $10 to $215 per individual
• I-129 (H-1B): filing fee increasing from $460 to $780 (no fee change for certain small businesses and nonprofits)
• I-129 (L-1): filing fee increasing from $460 to $1,385 (or $695 for certain small businesses and nonprofits)
• I-129 (O-1): filing fee increasing from $460 to $1,055 (or $530 for certain small businesses and nonprofits)
• I-140 (petition for immigrant worker): filing fee increasing from $700 to $715
• I-130 (petition for immigrant relative): filing fee increasing from $535 to $675
• I-131 (travel authorization): filing fee increasing from $575 to $630
• I-765 (employment authorization): filing fee increasing from $410 to $520
• I-485 (permanent residency) filing fee increasing from $1,225 to $1,440
• I-751 (petition to remove conditions on residence): filing fee increasing from $680 to $750
• N-400 (naturalization): filing fee increasing from $640 to $760

In addition to discounts for qualifying nonprofits and small businesses (defined as employers with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees), fee waivers are available for certain low-income and vulnerable populations.

The new rules will also introduce other changes, such as removing separate biometrics fees and incorporating them into the base application fee in most cases, and revising the premium processing time frame from 15 calendar days to 15 business days.