Application Fees
H-1B filing fees are mentioned below. Separate checks for each fee are required; made payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.” The H-1B filing fee costs must be paid by the H-1B employer and cannot be paid by the H-1B employee. These costs cannot be passed on in any indirect way to the employee (i.e. they cannot be deducted from the salary or start-up funds of an H-1B employee). Currently ISS is billing departments via DARBI for these fees and requesting the checks for the filing.
- $460 Standard Application Fee for Form I-129
- $500 Anti-Fraud Fee (Required for initial and portability petitions, this fee is not required for extension cases)
- $2,500 Optional premium processing service fee (expedited service)*
*Premium Processing is an expedited service that is available from USCIS for H-1B petitions. USCIS charges a $2,5000 fee in exchange for 15-business day processing period. USCIS guarantees that within 15 business days the Service Center will issue either a Notice of Approval, denial, or request for evidence. Premium processing service may be requested at the time H-1B petition is submitted or at a later date, if necessary. The premium processing fee is considered an employer's responsibility (like all H-1B related fees) unless there is a documented reason that the premium processing request would only benefit the employee. In that circumstance ISS can evaluate a request from the employee to pay the cost of the premium processing (all other H-1B fees must always be paid by the employer).