The agency stated the fee would “generate revenue to recover a portion of the federal government’s costs for administering the lawful immigration system.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed a rule change this week that would charge a $103,265 fee for new H-1B visa petitions. The measure is expected to encourage U.S. employers in the private sector to hire American citizens rather than apply for visas for lower-cost foreign workers. The fee would not apply to cap-exempt employers, such as universities, nonprofits, and government or nonprofit research entities.
Courts blocked President Donald Trump’s proclamation last year that attached a $100,000 fee for all new H-1B applications. The judiciary determined the president’s fee was a tax that only Congress is authorized to set under the Constitution. The new proposal would establish a fee for employers in addition to existing fees, described as an administrative cost-recovery measure.
“The proposed H‑1B fee is intended to recover the costs incurred across the federal government to adjudicate, vet, and support lawful immigration programs that otherwise must be funded by taxpayers,” said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesperson Zach Kahler.
The proposal is open to public comment for 30 days from the time it was published.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Director Joseph Edlow to be led by God as he heads U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- For DHS, USCIS, and other federal officials as they seek to uphold and enforce U.S. immigration laws.
Sources: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Daily Caller, Fox News
