In a recent development, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced an increase in visa application processing fees across various categories, including the student and the H-1B visa.
Details of the new USCIS application fees
As outlined on the USCIS website, premium processing fees have been raised for forms I-129, I-140, I-539, and I-765. Specifically, the premium processing fee for I-129, which pertains to petitions for nonimmigrant workers like those on H-1B and L-1 visas, has increased by 12% to $2,805, up from $2,500.
Additionally, the premium processing charges for Form I-539, used by international students, spouses, and dependents of H-1B visa holders to upgrade their non-immigrant status, have risen to $1,965 from the previous $1,750. Moreover, the fee for Form I-765, designed for seeking employment authorisation, such as for F-1 students during optional practical training (OPT), has been adjusted to $1,685 from $1,500.
What is the U.S student visa?
The US student visa is the F-1 visa, and it is a non-immigrant visa designed for individuals seeking to pursue academic or language programs at accredited institutions in the United States. With the F-1 visa, a student can remain in the US for the duration of their program and avail the opportunities for optional practical training (OPT) after completion of studies. This will enable the students to gain work experience too.
Under the new changes, student visa applications are going to go through higher scrutiny, in order to rule out fraudulent applications. From now on, student visa applicants for the visa type F, M, and J, the applicant (student) will have to input their passport details at the time of creating profile and scheduling visa appointment.