Effective October 1, 2015, the United States Customs and Immigration Service has advised that the additional fee of $2,000 for certain H1-B petitions and the $2,250 fee for certain L1 and L-1 petitions, previously required by Section 402 of Public Law 111-230, and amended by Public Law 111-347, are no longer required. These fees expired September 30, 2015.
The United States Customs and Immigration Service reminded petitioners that all other fees, including the Basic Fee, the Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee, and the American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA) Fee when applicable, are all still required.
The USCIS also stated that ensuring the correct fees are submitted is the petitioner’s responsibility, and each requires a separate check to be submitted. The basic fees required as of October 1, 2015, for the H1-B, the L1 and L1-B petitions are as follows:
- $325.00 for the Basic Fee
- $500.00 for the USCIS Anti-Fraud Fee
- $750.00 for the ACWIA Education and Training Fee (Employers with less than 25 Employees
- $1,500 – for the ACWIA Education and Training Fee (Employers with more than 25 Employees
- $1,440 an Optional Premium Processing Fee if rapid processing is required.
All the fees are outlined on the I129 Form, pages 9 and 25, and the I129 Form is available by clicking here.
An H1-B petition is for foreign nationals to apply for approval to work in the United States in Specialty Occupations. The L-1 petition is used to seek approval to work in the United States when a foreign company is to operate a division in the United States and wishes to transfer senior personnel or managers to manage the business.
