In a move that will impact thousands of foreign professionals and students, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced an increase in premium processing fees for several immigration benefits, including the H-1B visa. The revised fees will come into effect from March 1.
USCIS said the fee hike reflects inflation adjustments calculated from June 2023 through June 2025. The changes apply to multiple employment-based and non-immigrant visa categories that are widely used by international professionals, including a large number of Indian nationals working or studying in the United States.
Under the updated fee structure, the premium processing fee for Form I-129 petitions filed for H-2B or R-1 nonimmigrant status will increase from $1,685 to $1,780.
For all other eligible Form I-129 classifications, including H-1B, L-1, O-1, P-1, and TN visas, the premium processing fee will rise from $2,805 to $2,965.
The same $2,965 fee will also apply to Form I-140 immigrant petitions for alien workers across employment-based green card categories, up from the earlier $2,805.
USCIS has also revised premium processing charges for certain applications related to extending or changing nonimmigrant status. The premium processing fee for Form I-539 applications, which covers F-1 and F-2 students, J-1 and J-2 exchange visitors, and M-1 and M-2 vocational students, will increase from $1,965 to $2,075.
For applicants seeking faster employment authorization, the premium processing fee for Form I-765 applications, including Optional Practical Training and STEM-OPT categories, will go up from $1,685 to $1,780.
Explaining the rationale behind the increase, USCIS said, “The revenue generated by this fee increase will be used to provide premium processing services; make improvements to adjudication processes; respond to adjudication demands, including processing backlogs; and otherwise fund USCIS adjudication and naturalization services.”
The revised fees are expected to have a direct impact on Indian professionals, students, and employers. Indian nationals form the largest group of beneficiaries under the H-1B programme and account for a significant share of employment-based green card backlogs. OPT and STEM-OPT extensions are also widely used by Indian students graduating from US universities as a pathway to longer-term work visas.
Premium processing remains a critical option for applicants and employers who require faster decisions for job changes, extensions, travel planning, and immigration status certainty.
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