Sponsoring a foreign worker generally costs an employer between about $2,010 and $6,000 in federal filing fees alone, and more once premium processing, dependents, or a green card enter the picture. Work visa fees stack in layers: a base petition fee, several mandatory surcharges, an optional speed fee, and separate charges the worker pays at the consulate. Which layers apply depends on the visa category, the employer’s size, and whether the employer is a qualifying nonprofit.
Base Petition Fees by Visa Category
Every employment-based nonimmigrant visa starts with Form I-129, filed by the employer with USCIS. The base fee varies by classification and by whether the employer has 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (or qualifies as a nonprofit):1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Form G-1055 Fee Schedule
- H-1B specialty occupation: $780 paper or $730 online for large employers; $460 for small employers or nonprofits.
- L-1 intracompany transfer: $1,385 large; $695 small or nonprofit.
- O-1 extraordinary ability: $1,055 large; $530 small or nonprofit.
- H-2B temporary non-agricultural: $1,080 for named workers at large employers; $540 small or nonprofit.
- E-1, E-2, E-3, or TN: $1,015 large; $510 small or nonprofit.
The base fee is only a starting point. Filing an I-129 without the required supplemental fees causes USCIS to reject the entire package unopened.
H-1B Registration Fee
Employers filing cap-subject H-1B petitions must first register each prospective worker in the electronic lottery and pay $215 per beneficiary. The fee is non-refundable whether or not the registration is selected. Only selected registrations proceed to a full I-129 filing.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. FY 2027 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Period Opens on March 4
Mandatory Add-On Fees for H-1B and L-1
Federal law layers several surcharges onto H-1B and L-1 petitions. None are optional.
Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee
A flat $500 applies to every initial H-1B or L-1 petition and to petitions for a change of employer. There is no exemption for size or nonprofit status.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Form G-1055 Fee Schedule
ACWIA Training Fee
The American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act fee applies to most H-1B petitions. It is $750 for employers with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees and $1,500 for employers with 26 or more.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. H and L Filing Fees for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
Colleges and universities, nonprofit and government research organizations, primary and secondary schools, and nonprofits with established clinical training programs pay $0.
Asylum Program Fee
Every employer filing Form I-129 or Form I-140 owes the Asylum Program Fee: $600 for large employers, $300 for small employers, and $0 for qualifying nonprofits. This one is easy to miss because it was added on top of the older I-129 fee structure, and omitting it triggers rejection.
Public Law 114-113 Surcharge
Companies with 50 or more U.S. employees where more than half are in H-1B or L-1 status owe an extra $4,000 per H-1B petition or $4,500 per L-1 petition. The surcharge applies to initial petitions and change-of-employer filings and remains in effect through September 30, 2027.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Fee Increase for Certain H-1B and L-1 Petitions (Public Law 114-113)
What a Real H-1B Filing Adds Up To
A large employer filing an initial paper H-1B pays roughly $3,380: $780 base, $1,500 ACWIA, $500 fraud prevention, and $600 asylum program. A small employer comes in around $2,010. A qualifying nonprofit pays about $960, because the ACWIA and asylum program fees fall away. Add $4,000 more if the employer is H-1B dependent under Public Law 114-113, and add premium processing if speed matters.
Premium Processing
Employers who want a faster answer file Form I-907. For I-129 petitions in the H-1B, L-1, O, E, and TN categories, the premium processing fee is $2,965 as of March 1, 2026. USCIS commits to an adjudicative action, meaning an approval, denial, request for evidence, or notice of intent to deny, within 15 business days of receipt. If USCIS misses that window, the fee is refunded and the case still gets priority handling.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Request Premium Processing
Premium processing exists for other forms at different prices and timelines:
- Form I-140 immigrant worker petition: $2,965, 15 business days for most categories.
- Form I-765 employment authorization: $1,780, 30 business days for OPT and STEM OPT.
- H-2B and R petitions: $1,780, 15 business days.
USCIS adjusts these amounts periodically for inflation, so verify against the current fee schedule before filing.
Who Is Legally Allowed to Pay Which Fees
Some fees cannot be passed to the worker. Employers may not require an H-1B worker to pay the ACWIA training fee or the $500 fraud prevention fee, whether by direct payment or payroll deduction. Employers also may not deduct attorney fees tied to the labor condition application or the I-129 petition, or the premium processing fee, if doing so would drop the worker’s pay below the required wage.6U.S. Department of Labor. Fact Sheet 62H: What Are the Rules Concerning Deductions From an H-1B Workers Pay
The base I-129 filing fee is not explicitly prohibited from being shared, but most immigration attorneys advise employers to bear all petition-related costs. Workers typically pay their own consular fees and personal travel expenses.
Consular Visa Fees the Worker Pays
Once USCIS approves the petition, the worker applies for the visa stamp at a U.S. embassy or consulate. The machine-readable visa application fee for H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories is $205, paid when the DS-160 is submitted online. The worker, not the employer, pays this.
Some applicants also owe a reciprocity issuance fee tied to their nationality, mirroring what their country charges U.S. citizens for a comparable visa. Amounts range from nothing to several hundred dollars and are only collected if the visa is approved.
SEVIS Fees
Workers coming through certain student or exchange programs pay the I-901 SEVIS fee before their visa interview: $350 for F and M student holders (relevant for those moving into work authorization through OPT), $220 for most J-1 exchange visitors, and $35 for some reduced-fee J-1 programs. This is paid to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is separate from both USCIS and State Department charges.7U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I-901 SEVIS Fee Frequently Asked Questions
Dependents
Spouses and children joining a worker on a dependent visa (H-4, L-2, O-3, and similar) each need Form I-539 to change or extend nonimmigrant status. The fee is $470 per person on paper or $420 online. Dependents applying from abroad also pay the $205 consular application fee for their own visa stamps. A family of four can easily add more than $1,500 to the total before any travel costs.
Green Card Fees Come Separately
Many work visa holders eventually pursue permanent residence, and those costs are on top of everything above. The employer files Form I-140, which carries its own base fee by employer size plus a $600 Asylum Program Fee for large employers. Premium processing for the I-140 is $2,965.
Once the worker’s priority date is current, they file Form I-485 to adjust status, currently $1,225 for adult applicants. Between PERM recruitment costs, the I-140, the I-485, and attorney fees, the green card leg can add $5,000 to $15,000 or more on top of the initial work visa spending.
Fee Waivers Do Not Apply Here
Form I-912 fee waivers are essentially unavailable for standard employment petitions. USCIS limits waivers to humanitarian categories such as asylum, VAWA, T and U visas, and Temporary Protected Status. The narrow work-related exceptions include I-129 petitions for E-2 CNMI investors and certain employment authorization applications. For a standard H-1B, L-1, or O-1, plan to pay every fee in full.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver
How to Calculate and Submit Payment
The USCIS Fee Calculator at uscis.gov/feecalculator walks through each applicable charge based on your form, classification, and employer size. Cross-check the output against the current G-1055 fee schedule.
When filing by mail, write each fee as a separate check or money order payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.” Combining fees into one payment causes problems if USCIS needs to reject a single component. For credit card payments on paper filings, complete Form G-1450.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
Online filings run through Pay.gov and accept bank transfers or cards. Filing online also cuts certain fees, including the H-1B base from $780 to $730 for large employers.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees After a successful filing, USCIS issues Form I-797C with the case receipt number. Keep it with copies of every check and authorization form.