Continuing with your H-1B employee? You may have to pay more fees

The US government may impose additional fees on large employers hiring H-1B and L-1 workers, according to recent regulatory proposals. Companies with over 50 US employees, where more than half of the workforce holds these visas, could face the new '9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee.' This fee would apply not only to new H-1B and L-1 petitions and employer changes, but also to existing employee extensions.

Currently, such employers pay $4,000 for eligible H-1B petitions and $4,500 for L-1 petitions upon initial stay or employer change. If the fee is extended to renewal petitions, it could significantly increase costs for businesses heavily reliant on H-1B and L-1 workers, particularly large IT firms. According to US Citizenship and Immigration Services data, 71% of the 406,000 H-1B applications approved in the fiscal year ending September 2025 were for continuing employment, with nearly 78% of the 220,000 visa extensions granted to Indians.

Major employers like Amazon, TCS, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google have seen a high number of continued employment approvals.