US raises H-1B application fee by $10

As part of its revised selection process, the US has hiked by $10 the application fee of the H-1B work visa, the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals.

The H-1B programme allows companies in the US to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the application of a body of highly specialised knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent.

This non-refundable fee will support the new electronic registration system to make the H-1B cap selection process more efficient for both petitioners and the federal agency, said the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Thursday.