Fee for Certain H-1B Petitions

Published

Sep 10, 2026

Citation

91 FR 57516

Docket

CIS No. 2861-26, DHS Docket No. USCIS-2026-0298

Summary

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is proposing a new fee structure for certain H‑1B specialty‑worker visa petitions. The rule would add an additional filing charge for employers whose petitions do not qualify for existing fee exemptions, with the goal of helping cover the agency’s processing costs and ensuring that the fee system reflects the resources required to adjudicate these petitions. The proposal is issued by DHS, specifically U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and it affects employers and other petitioners who file H‑1B petitions for foreign workers. It does not change eligibility criteria for the visa itself, but it would increase the overall cost of filing for those who are not covered by current fee waivers or reductions. The notice was published in the Federal Register on September 10, 2026 (91 FR 57516). Comments must be submitted by November 9, 2026. After the comment period, DHS will review the feedback and, if it decides to move forward, will publish a final rule that will specify the exact fee amounts and an effective date, likely a few weeks after the final rule is issued.

AI-generated summary — verify against the Federal Register text.

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