Trump Administration Proposes New Fees for H-1B and L-1 Visa Extensions

The Donald Trump administration is proposing to expand the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee to include H-1B and L-1 visa extension petitions. Currently, these fees apply only to initial petitions or when a worker changes employers. Under the new rule, eligible employers—those with 50 or more employees where more than half hold H-1B or L-1 status—would pay an additional $4,000 for H-1B extensions and $4,500 for L-1 extensions.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection intend to use the projected $157.3 million in annual revenue to fund the U.S. biometric entry-exit program. The measure is expected to disproportionately impact Indian nationals, who represented 77.6% of all H-1B extensions in fiscal year 2025.

Large technology and IT services firms are expected to face the highest cost increases due to their high volume of continuing employment petitions. Affected companies include Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, and Tata Consultancy Services.