H-1B, OPT & Green Card Fees Rise Again Under Premium Processing: What Indians Should Know and Why It Matters
USCIS announces a premium processing fee hike for H-1B, OPT, and green card applications from March 1, impacting Indian professionals and students in the US.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a premium processing fee hike for several immigration benefits, including the H-1B visa, employment-based green cards, and OPT applications. The revised fees will come into effect from March 1, and are expected to directly impact Indian professionals, students, and employers who form a large share of US work visa applicants.
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Fee Hike to Impact Indian Professionals and Students
The USCIS premium processing fee increase will affect widely used employment-based and non-immigrant visa categories such as H-1B, L-1, O-1, and Optional Practical Training (OPT). Indian nationals are among the largest beneficiaries of US work visas, especially the H-1B programme and employment-based green cards.
USCIS said the revised fees reflect inflation adjustments and will help improve processing efficiency and reduce backlogs.
Why USCIS Increased Premium Processing Fees
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the additional revenue from the fee hike will be used to:
- Strengthen adjudication operations
- Reduce processing backlogs
- Improve service delivery timelines
- Support naturalisation and immigration services
Premium processing is commonly used for faster visa decisions, job changes, extensions, and travel certainty.
Revised Premium Processing Fees (Effective March 1)
Updated Form I-129 Fees
- H-2B and R-1 visas:
Increased from $1,685 to $1,780 - H-1B, L-1, O-1, P-1 and TN visas:
Increased from $2,805 to $2,965
Employment-Based Green Cards (Form I-140)
- Premium processing fee increased from $2,805 to $2,965
Student and Exchange Visitor Applications (Form I-539)
- F-1 / F-2 students, J-1 / J-2 exchange visitors, M-1 / M-2 students:
Fee increased from $1,965 to $2,075
OPT and Employment Authorization (Form I-765)
- OPT and STEM-OPT applicants:
Fee increased from $1,685 to $1,780
Why This Matters for Indians in the US
Indian nationals account for:
- The largest share of H-1B visas
- A major portion of the employment-based green card backlog
- High usage of OPT and STEM-OPT extensions after graduation
The USCIS fee hike for premium processing is likely to raise costs for Indian students transitioning from OPT to H-1B and professionals seeking faster visa approvals.
What Applicants Should Do
Applicants planning to file H-1B, OPT, green card, or visa extension applications are advised to:
- Review the updated fee structure carefully
- Plan filings before March 1 if possible
- Budget for higher premium processing costs
The USCIS premium processing fee increase marks a significant change for thousands of foreign nationals relying on faster immigration decisions.
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