M A I N   N E W S

H-1B visa?
Shell out more

Washington, August 20
The steep hike in H-1B and L1 visa fee, which would cost Indian IT firms an additional $ 250 million annually, has come into effect from August 14, the US said today.

The US move comes in the midst of protests by India that the increase incorporated in the Border Security Bill is discriminatory against Indian companies and needed to be amended.

The hike came into effect from Saturday last after President Barack Obama signed into law the Border Security Bill that allows certain measures to tighten security along the US-Mexico Border.

Now, an additional fee of $ 2,000 for certain H-1B petitions and $ 2,250 for certain L-1A and L-1B petitions will be charged and the rates will remain in effect till September 30, 2014, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said.

These additional fees apply to petitioners who employ 50 or more employees in the US with more than 50 percent of its employees in the United States in H-1B or L (including L-1A, L-1B and L-2) non-immigrant status, it said. Ignoring India's concern over some provisions in the Bill, the US Senate had last week passed the legislation after which Obama gave his assent.

The law will hit Indian firms like Wipro, Tata, Infosys and Satyam, which use hundreds of these visas for their employees coming to the US to work at client locations. — PTI