US Immigration: A US federal court has denied a petition seeking a temporary injunction to postpone the rollout of elevated immigration fees set to take effect on April 1.
Plaintiffs, including ITServe Alliance and the American Immigrant Investor Alliance (AIIA), aimed to halt the revised fees until the lawsuit’s resolution.
US Immigration Updates
Consequently, applicants, including American employers, must bear the heightened visa and immigration fees spanning various applications. However, legal proceedings continue.
The lawsuit, initiated by ITServe Alliance and AIIA, challenges significant fee hikes in EB-5 visa fees and an additional asylum fee for employers hiring H-1B workers, introduced without proper rule-making procedures.
AIIA remains optimistic about the lawsuit’s success, emphasizing the court’s non-opposition to their primary argument.
Despite the court’s ruling, AIIA underscores the financial strain posed by increased fees, particularly on EB-5 investors.
Effective April 1, American employers will submit H-1B cap applications for selected beneficiaries from recent lotteries, requiring updated fee amounts. USCIS clarified that applications submitted on or after April 1 must include the increased fee amounts.
The application fee has risen substantially by 70%, now standing at $780, with employers encountering an additional Asylum Program fee of $600 during both the initial application stage and when sponsoring green cards based on employment.
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