The new visa fees for the US non-immigrant category have come into effect today. The highest hike was seen in the H-1B visa fee, which has increased by 2050 percent.
Apart from the H-1B, the visa fees for L-1 and EB-5 also saw a significant hike.
New US visa fees for non-immigrant category
The US announced the increase in fees for H-1B, L-1, and EB-5 earlier, and it came into effect today.
All these visas are availed by many Indians to immigrate to the US.
The new fees for the non-immigrant category are as follows:
| Visas | Old fee (in US dollars) | New fee (in US dollars) |
| H-1B | 10 | 215 |
| L-1 | 460 | 1385 |
| EB-5 | 3675 | 11,160 |
It is the first hike for the non-immigrant category since 2016.
Who avails these visas?
The H-1B visa allows US employers to temporarily employ foreign employees in specialty occupations. The duration of stay on the visa is three years and can be extended to six years.
The L-1 visa allows foreign employees of an international company with offices both in the US and abroad to relocate to the corporation’s US office for a period ranging from three months to five years. With extensions, the maximum stay is seven years.
The EB-5 visa is availed by immigrant investors to become lawful permanent residents by investing in US businesses.
From today onward, the hiked US visa fees for these categories will be applicable.
