http://www.hindustantimes.com/world/us-bill-making-h-1b-visas-e US House of Representatives passed Friday an omnibus bill to fund the federal government that makes hiring of highly skilled foreign workers on H- 1B and L-1 visas substantially expensive. It doubles the application fee for H-1B visas for every new hire to $4,000 from $2,000 and $4,500 for every L-1 visa, which is needed for intra-company transfers, from $2,250. These changes will apply to US companies with more that 50 employees, 50% of whom are foreigners, mostly US operations of Indian companies such as TCS, Infosys and Wipro. These hikes are meant to fund continued healthcare for first-responders impacted by the 9/11 terrorist attacks and biometric entry and exit monitoring system. Indian government and IT industry had been following the progress of the legislation with a mix of dread and helplessness as there was little they could do stop it. The senate is expected to pass the legislation in a few hours sending it up to the White House for the president to sign it into law, which is also expected later in the day. There are other legislations in the pipeline that seek to cut down the hiring of freeing workers specially on H-1B visas, which, it’s critics believe, are displacing American workers. One legislation proposes to fix minimum salary for H-1B workers — at the same level as that paid to American workers — to prevent companies from hiring cheaper foreigners. The same legislation proposes to prevent a company from filling a vacancy created by firing a local, American employee for two years, to address the issue of displacement. Another legislation seeks to bring down the number of H-1B visas from the current 85,000 to 70,000 a year. Not all or any of these may become law, but the visa fee hikes will. These changes will be in force for the next 10 years, and are likely to cost the Indian IT industry an estimated $400 million a year, according to their trade body NASSCOM. The hiked fee of $4,000 and the new levy of $4,500 will be charged for extensions also — H-1B visa is given for three years, which can be extended for the same period, but just once. L-1 is also valid for three years and can be extended up to the maximum of five and seven years, for different categories under this visa type.
说话之前动下脑子,现在的标准 不是ICC哪家正常的美国公司里会有超过50%的员工持有H1B? Required Fees There are different fees depending on the type of H-1B petition you are submitting. Please refer to the H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement for detailed instructions on fees. The following fees may be required with a petition subject to the cap: Base filing fee: $325 Where do I find the instructions on fees? What version of Form I-129 are you using? Find the H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement on: Revision date of Oct. 23, 2014 Pages 19-21 Revision date on/after Nov. 23, 2010, but before Oct. 23, 2014 Pages 17-19 American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 (ACWIA) fee: (see H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement, Part B): $750 for employers with 1 to 25 full-time equivalent employees, unless exempt $1,500 for employers with 26 or more full-time equivalent employees, unless exempt Where do I find the ACWIA fee information? What version of Form I-129 are you using? Find ACWIA fee information in: Revision date of Oct. 23, 2014 Section 2 Revision date on/after Nov. 23, 2010, but before Oct. 23, 2014 Part B of the H-1B Data Collection and Filing Fee Exemption Supplement Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee: $500 to be submitted with a request for initial H-1B status or with a request for a beneficiary already in H-1B status to change employers. (This fee does not apply to Chile/Singapore H-1B1 petitions.) Public Law 111-230: $2,000 to be submitted by a petitioner that employs 50 or more employees in the United States, if more than half of those employees are in H-1B or L -1 nonimmigrant status. must be submitted with a request for initial H-1B status or a request for a beneficiary already in H-1B status to change employers Premium Processing Fee: $1,225 for employers seeking Premium Processing Service