Washington: Indian professionals working in the United States on H1B and L1 visas could face higher employment-related immigration costs after the US expanded an existing fee to cover visa extension petitions filed by certain employers. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the scope of the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee to cover H1B and L1 extension-of-stay petitions. The change applies even when a foreign worker remains with the same employer. 

The fee itself has not been increased. Employers covered by the rule will pay $4,000 for an H1B petition and $4,500 for an L1 petition. 

The final rule was published on Monday and will take effect on September 9, 2026. For Indian professionals, the change adds another layer to an already tightening US employment-based immigration system. 

The immediate payment will be made by qualifying employers, but the wider costs could influence how companies approach hiring, sponsorship and retention of foreign workers. 

The expanded fee does not apply to every US employer sponsoring an H1B or L1 worker. It applies to companies that have at least 50 employees in the United States and where more than 50 per cent of the workforce are in H1B or L1 non-immigrant status. This threshold is commonly known as the 50-50 rule. 

For employers that meet both conditions, the $4,000 H1B fee and $4,500 L1 fee will now apply to extension-of-stay petitions as well as the categories that were already covered. 

That means a company could face the charge again when it seeks to extend the status of an existing foreign employee.