H-1B visa fee is here to stay: Immigration attorney says employees should hire through L-1 visa to bypass $100K

The H-1B cap pre-registration opens March 4 and will continue till March 19, the USCIS has already announced. This is the first time that the employers will have to make a payment of $100K for each H-1B applicant who is not present in the US at the time of the selection and petition filing. The visa fee announced by the Donald Trump administration was legally challenged but there was no ruling or stay on it which means companies this year have to shell out the money.

In the latest podcast of Murthy Law Firm, attorney Anna Stepanova said that companies now have to broaden their search as they can’t solely depend on H-1B. Stepanova said L-1 visa programs also allow companies to hire from outside the country but there are some conditions.