Washington: The Donald Trump administration is planning to increase the cost of extending H-1B and L-1 work visas by expanding the existing 9/11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee to visa extension petitions.
The proposal, included in the US Department of Homeland Security’s regulatory agenda, would require eligible employers to pay an additional USD 4,000 for H-1B extensions and USD 4,500 for L-1 extensions.
Currently, these fees apply only to initial petitions and change-of-employer filings for companies with more than 50 employees, where over half the workforce holds H-1B or L-1 visas.
The move follows a legal setback after a US federal appeals court declined to revive the administration’s proposed USD 100,000 fee on new H-1B visas.
Since H-1B visas are typically renewed after an initial three-year term, the proposed rule could significantly raise costs for employers relying on foreign skilled workers.
Indian professionals are expected to be the most affected. According to USCIS, 406,685 H-1B petitions were approved in FY2025, with 291,542 for continuing employment.
Of these, 226,359 approvals (77.6%) were granted to Indian nationals. Major employers such as Amazon, TCS, Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google could also face higher immigration-related expenses if the proposal is implemented.
