H-1B Visa: Now, No More Additional $2,000 Fee

 

In a breather for Indian IT firms, the $2,000 H-1B fee mostly imposed on them has now lapsed in a Republican-majority US Congress.

The charges, often called outsourcing fee, had forced Indian IT companies in the last few years to pay millions of dollars towards protecting the US-Mexican border from illegal immigration.

Indian firms had described the fee on highly-qualified IT professionals coming to the US on a H-1B visa as "discriminatory."

The legislation with regard to a $2,000 fee on H-1B visas for companies having more than 50 %of its employees oversees was adopted by the US Congress in 2010 mainly at the instance of a group of lawmakers led by Senator Charles Schumer.

Passed on August 10,2010 the law contains provision to hike H-1B and L-1 visa fee per application by $2,000 and $2,250 respectively for qualifying firms, which mainly targeted Indian IT companies.

The duration of law was extended from four to five years under James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 to provide healthcare and financial compensation for the firefighters and other 'First Responders' who helped out in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack.