The Trump administration is planning to impose new charges concentrating on H-1B and F-1 non-compulsory sensible coaching (OPT) programmes.
The US Division of Homeland Safety launched a proposed regulation to extend the H-1B visa price to $103,265, the Federal Register posted on Monday. Final 12 months, the price was imposed however has now been blocked by the courts.
If the proposed laws are carried out, they might increase the bills of working within the US for international nationals, for college kids who’re transitioning from universities to workplaces and for employers sponsoring H-1 employees, in accordance with Fragomen, a company immigration companies agency.
The shift is essential for Indians as a result of they account for greater than 70 per cent of all H-1B visa beneficiaries. The US Citizenship and Immigration Providers accepted 399,402 H-1B petitions in 2024, out of which Indian-born beneficiaries claimed 71 per cent.
The immigration legislation agency Fragomen acknowledged in a word that the proposals have already moved by way of the White Home Workplace of Administration and Finances.
“A proposed OPT price rule was despatched to the Workplace of Administration and Finances (OMB) on August 20 and is now underneath evaluate. A proposed rule to impose a price on sure H-1B petitions was obtained by OMB and cleared evaluate on the identical day, August 19,” the word mentioned.
Fragomen famous that the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) would possibly suggest a $100,000 price on OPT purposes, and the proposed H1-B price may very well be tied to the continued lawsuit over the administration’s beforehand blocked $100,000 H-1B petition price.
Nonetheless, the contents of the proposals stay confidential and will probably be launched formally later.
H-1B Staff Might Lose 60-Day Lifeline
Aside from the brand new charges, earlier this month, the DHS proposed eliminating the 60-day grace interval for unemployed H-1B employees, forcing them to go away the US instantly or face standing violations if the rule is finalised.
A transfer like this might require affected employees and their dependants to go away the nation nearly instantly.
If the regulation is finalised, it could take away the present 60-day grace interval for sure employees and their dependants when the employment on which their immigration standing relies ends earlier than their authorised interval of keep expires.
Greater than 5.2 million folks of Indian origin reside within the US, in accordance with latest estimates based mostly on US Census information.
