U.S. Immigration Updates– Week of June 6, 2023
Department of State: Nonimmigrant Visa Fee Increases Delayed Until June 17
On June 17, 2023, the nonimmigrant visa (NIV) application processing fee for visitor visas for business or tourism (B1/B2s and BCCs), and other non-petition-based NIVs such as student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, and J visas), will increase from $160 to $185. The fee for certain petition-based NIVs for temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, and R categories) will increase from $190 to $205. The fee for a treaty trader, treaty investor, and treaty applicant in a specialty occupation (nonimmigrant E category) visa will increase from $205 to $315. NIV fees paid before June 17, 2023, will remain valid through the expiration date of the fee receipt.
NIV fees are set based on the actual cost of providing NIV services and are determined after conducting a study of the cost of these services. The Department uses an Activity-Based Costing (ABC) methodology to calculate, annually, the cost of providing consular services, including visa services. The fees for most non-petition-based NIVs were last updated in 2012, and certain other visa fees were last updated in 2014.
This rule does not change any other fees, including the fee to apply for a waiver of the two-year residency requirement for certain exchange visitors, which remains at $120.
Fee information can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website, https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html, and on the websites of U.S. embassies and consulates.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, June 2, 2023: Nonimmigrant Visa Fee Increases to Take Effect June 17, 2023 (state.gov)
Immigration Agency Report Shows High H-1B Visa Salaries
A government report shows the notion that H-1B visa holders are “cheap labor” is a myth, with the average salary for H-1B professionals in computer-related occupations reaching nearly $130,000 a year. The average annual salary for an H-1B visa holder in computer-related occupations in 2022 was $129,000, according to the Characteristics of H-1B Specialty Occupation Workers, Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report to Congress published by USCIS. The median salary for H-1B professionals in computer-related occupations was $123,000 in 2022. The median salary for H-1B professionals in computer-related occupations increased by 26% between 2018 and 2022, and the average salary rose by 23%. At the current pace, the average salary for H-1B visa holders in computer-related occupations could reach about $200,000 a year within a decade.
SOURCE: Stuart Anderson, Forbes, June 5, 2023: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2023/06/05/immigration-agency-report-shows-high-h-1b-visa-salaries/?sh=445fb44511ee