US agency hikes processing fee for visa applications by up to 75%

Hike may have a short-term cost impact on IT Indian companies, which are already ramping up hiring in the US and offshoring projects elsewhere.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has increased the premium processing fee for non-immigrant visa applicants in another attempt by the Donald Trump administration to promote local hires. 

The move may result in a short-term cost impact for IT Indian companies, according to experts, despite the firms ramping up their local hiring and offshoring projects elsewhere to overcome visa-related issues. 

The filing fee for premium processing has been increased by close to 75 per cent — from $1,440 to $2,500 — for all filings except H2B and R1 applicants. The fee for H2B and R1 petitions has been hiked to $1,500.

Premium processing