Applicants for H-1B visas received a reminder from USCIS about changes for the FY 2025. A few of the changes are increased fees, new locations for applicants to file, and more.
Let’s look at all the details!
US Citizenship and Immigration Services Issues a Reminder to H-1B Visa Applicants
On March 25, the first registration window for the FY 2025 H-1B cap season expired.
For H-1B numerical allocations, USCIS will choose beneficiaries at random and alert potential petitioners.
Form I-129 petitions for H-1B and H-1B1 must now be sent to specific USCIS lockbox locations.
Filing at lockbox locations has taken the place of the previous practice of filing at service centers.
As per the statement issued by USCIS, “USCIS will soon randomly select enough unique beneficiaries of properly submitted registrations projected as needed to reach the FY 2025 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap), and will notify all prospective petitioners with selected beneficiaries that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for such beneficiaries.”
After April 1, petitions sent to inaccurate addresses will be denied without an opportunity for revision.
To enable cooperative petition handling, USCIS launched online organizational accounts. This program encourages online filing for efficiency and supports H-1B petitions that are cap or non-cap.
Users are unable to connect paper-filed forms to online accounts during the initial rollout of organizational accounts.
Updated Price of Visas
The different non-immigrant visa categories are impacted by the new visa fee system.
It affects the price of certain visas, including EB-5, L-1, and H-1B. The $10 registration fee for H-1Bs will now cost $215. Form I-129 H-1B petition filing fees will increase from $460 to $780.
The considerable number of Indian nationals who apply for H-1B visas is directly impacted by the fee hike. It affects how supporting organizations and individuals plan their finances.
The decision to seek work in the US is influenced by the rise in fees associated with H-1B registration and petition filing. The fee hike’s financial effects could cause people to reevaluate US employment options.
Indian citizens are able to evaluate how higher costs may affect their financial limitations.
Sponsoring organizations for H-1B candidates might want to reconsider how much money they set aside for visa applications.
