H-1B Visa: A fresh round of US visa cost changes is on the horizon, and Indian tech professionals are once again at the center of it. According to a rule item first published as a proposed regulation in June 2024 and later folded into the Trump administration’s 2026 Unified Regulatory Agenda as a pending final rule, the Department of Homeland Security is moving to widen the scope of existing H-1B and L-1 surcharges.
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What the Proposed Rule Changes
Currently, the so-called 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fees apply mainly to new H-1B and L-1 petitions, along with certain employer change filings. The additional charge presently stands at $4,000 for eligible H-1B petitions and $4,500 for L-1 petitions. Under the proposed change, these fees would also apply to extension and renewal filings for workers already in the US, a category that has so far been spared.
Why Indian Tech Workers Are Exposed
The impact could fall disproportionately on Indian nationals. In FY2025, Indian nationals accounted for 226,359 H-1B extension approvals, making up 77.6 percent of all H-1B extensions filed that year. Large IT and consulting firms with sizable H-1B workforces, many of which route significant hiring through India, would likely absorb the bulk of these added costs, potentially reshaping how aggressively they sponsor extensions.
Awaiting Final Review
H-1B Visa: The rule is still pending review by the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs before it can take effect, so the exact August timeline and final fee structure remain unconfirmed. Still, the direction of travel adds to a string of visa-related cost hikes this year, following the $100,000 fee on fresh H-1B petitions announced last September, and signals that renewal costs.
