H1B Visa Fees Can Increase By 10% For All Foreigners; Immigration Office Will Finally Open From June 4th

As per fresh reports coming in, the US agency that looks after the immigration and visa applications will soon be charging 10% extra on the application fees. 

Additionally, the agency has also asked Congress for monetary assistance of $1.2 billion as an emergency funding in order to continue working.

The offices of the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) have been closed since March, but are rumored to resume operations from June 4.

Find out all the details about the hike in the fees right here!

10% Hike In H1B Visa Fees

As per reports, the USCIS, which processes the citizenship applications and work visas, has drained its treasures and the sole reason for this is the widely spreading COVID-19 pandemic. 

Therefore, the USCIS has announced that they will be applying a 10% surcharge to the application fees. Taxpayers will be reimbursed by the additional amount obtained through this. 

The agency has also asked Congress for an emergency funding of $1.2 billion in order to keep the operations running smoothly. 

As per reports, the agency has noticed a rather rapid increase in the number of applications as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. 

What Is The Reason?

The agency expressed its ordeals, saying that they have already cut back their expenses and will “have to take drastic actions to keep the agency afloat” if Congress denies them the emergency funding. However, there has been no news if the agency plans to overcome its losses by laying off its workforce. 

The USCIS has predicted that they will be facing a loss of 61% in its revenue by the end of the year. 

Due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus disease, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, had declared a pause of 60 days in the issuance of the green cards. All the visa processing by the State Department has been halted and travel to the US has been restricted absolutely. 

While the US agency has temporarily closed its office, the USCIS will continue to offer limited emergency services in-person. Applicants have been asked to contact the Contact Centre for any sort of assistance they need related to emergency services/