On July 31, 2020, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule adjusting the filing fees associated with various immigration case types. In its announcement, the USCIS explained that it is a fee funded government agency and that the current fees in place do not cover the costs of providing the agency’s services. USCIS further states that current fees would leave the agency underfunded by $1 billion per year.

Generally, the fees will increase for almost all of the visa case types which employers typically file on behalf of foreign national employees. Notably, one of the highest increases is to the L-1 Petition, which enables a U.S. employer to transfer employees from an affiliated foreign office to one of its offices in the U.S. The filing fee for these petitions will increase by 75% from $460 to $805. This final rule is effective Oct. 2, 2020. Any application, petition, or request postmarked on or after this date must include payment of the new, correct fees established by the final rule.