US President Joe Biden’s administration has proposed a steep increase in visa immigration fees. If this increase goes into effect, the fee for applying for an H-1B visa will almost double.
The H-1B visa is most popular among Indian-origin high-tech professionals.
On the other hand, in a sign of some relief, the Biden administration has promised to reduce the waiting time for visa interviews in India.
The proposed rule published by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Wednesday proposes
to increase the application fee for an H-1B visa from $460 to $780 and for an L-1 from $460 to $1,385.
The O-1 visa application fee is proposed to be increased from $460 to $1,055.
The fee for H-2B petitions (for seasonal, non-agricultural workers) is proposed to increase from $460 to $1,080.
On the other hand, a top US State Department official said that his country is trying to reduce the waiting time for
visa interviews in India as soon as possible. He said that the visa process is being streamlined faster than expected.
It is expected to reach the level before the Kovid epidemic by the coming year.
On concerns about the backlog of visa applications from countries like India, State Department
spokesman Ned Price said he understands the frustration of those who have to wait long for visas.
…hence the fee being increased
The US Department of Home Affairs has said in the notification that USCIS operates mainly from the amount raised by the applicants.
The fee hike will help the immigration agency to recover its operational cost, re-process the visa on time and sustain it.
Application fees meet approximately 96 per cent of USCIS’ financial needs. There was a decrease in visa applications during the Corona period.
Due to this, his income was also reduced by 40 per cent.
Staff shortage is putting pressure on the immigration agency to clear old applications. After the year 2016, the fee has stayed the same.
Visa granted to record 1.25 lakh Indian students in 2022
State Department spokesman Ned Price told a news conference that the US issued more student visas in the fiscal year 2022 than in any year since 2016.
Its embassies and consulates in India, in particular, have broken their records of student visas issued in a financial year.
This year, the US issued around 1.25 lakh visas to Indian students.
H-1B visa is most popular among Indians
This nonimmigrant visa allows US companies to employ high-tech professionals from other countries in speciality occupations.
Thousands of technology professionals move to the US annually from countries like India and China through H-1B visas.
The initiative to call more workers will get a setback.
A public objection can be filed on the proposal within 60 days.
Forbes said in a report that the tariff hike would strike a blow at policymakers who want to allow more workers to enter the US legally
