‘U.S. to propose hike in H-1B application fee’

The U.S. plans to hike the H-1B visa application fee to increase funding for the expansion of an apprentice programme, Labour Secretary Alexander Acosta has told American lawmakers, a move that would impose additional financial burden on Indian IT companies.

Testifying before a Congressional committee on the annual budget of the Department of Labor for the fiscal year 2020 beginning October 1, 2019, he said that the Labour Department has also made changes to the H-1B application forms to ensure greater transparency and better protect American workers from employers seeking to misuse the programme.

Mr. Acosta, however, did not give details of the proposed increase. But given past experience, Indian IT companies, which account for a large number of H-1B applications, are likely to face additional financial burden because of this.