Summary
U.S. immigration services have raised fees for fast-tracked processing of certain visa and green card applications. The new fees began on March 1 and primarily affect employment-based petitions and some other categories.
Key Facts
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) started new premium processing fees on March 1.
- The fee for faster processing of employment visas and green cards is now $2,965.
- Only employment-based petitions, not family-based green cards, are affected by the new fees.
- Premium processing allows faster review but does not guarantee approval.
- The fee for Form I-140 petitions, used for foreign workers seeking permanent residency, increased from $2,805 to $2,965.
- The same fee increase affects many employment visa petitions filed using Form I-129, like H-1B visas.
- Applications with outdated fees will be rejected, potentially causing delays.
- Additional fee adjustments apply to other types of visas and work authorization applications.
